A Second Chance
by Viginti Duo
Summary: Odd mix of post game, what if story. The imminent execution of one Seifer Almasy brings Quistis Trepe not only in tears, but in contemplation of how he marked her life. At night, she gets an unexpected visitor who grants her unspoken wish. Seiftis
1. Prologue

Happy New Year everyone! 

            I hope your vacation has been as relaxing as mine so far! Although I wrote and wrote all day ^_^ Either way, it gives me great pleasure doing this, so I didn't mind at all! If any of you had been reading my story _'Love Conquers All' _a while ago, you'll already know that I kept my promise and posted this story right on time!

            For those of you who have read my previous worked and liked it, I hope that you'll enjoy my new stuff even more, as I've put a lot of effort into it! I studied your reviews again and again to see all your 'complaints' and suggestions and I sincerely hope I've improved! To any of you who are new to my work, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

            Of course, your reviews are more than welcome and I'll even accept bad reviews as long as you're not flaming me. If you think you could help me become better in any way, please feel free to do so! I'll appreciate it very much!

            Well, I guess you've all figured out this story is going to be a Seiftis… I just love writing them… ^_^ Even if you're not fans of this pairing, I hope you'll like reading my story. Lots of thanks to my beta, Chris, who dedicated some of his precious time to read through the drafts of the first chapters and gave me his opinion and advice. Thanks Chris! I owe you **big** time!

            Oh and on a last note I'd like to introduce my muse… Sal. She's cranky, she's a weirdo and pretty much messes with my head all the time… She can either be helpful, or completely useless… But I guess you'll figure **that** out when you start reading this story (RANDOM READER: We'll **what**?) and come across completely incoherent stuff… Just kiddin' ^_^

            Once again, I hope you enjoy this story!

**DISCLAIMER FOR THE WHOLE** **STORY****: **I do NOT own the game Final Fantasy 8, or its characters. If I did, I'd be lying on the veranda of my beach house over in Honolulu, k? What I **do** own, is the crappy characters I've named and possibly invented for this story.

**_                                                                                                                        Peace out… ;-p_**

**_                                                                                                                          ~*_****_Crystal_****_*~_**

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**A/N: **Just a little Prologue to entice you… The 1st chapter will be up very soon. Regular updates will be about every 4 days. Enjoy!

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                              Prologue **

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            Quistis was carrying a heavy bag onto her right shoulder. It was no longer than five minutes than she had returned from a mission in Esthar. Ever since the defeat of Ultimecia, Balamb Garden had received innumerable calls from potential clients. The success of the 'Legendary Six' had made Balamb Garden known all over the globe. The money was better than ever, especially for a Rank-A SeeD like Quistis, but she didn't seem to be the least interested in that. All she ever wanted was to be an Instructor, but Cid and the Garden Committee had been firm on their primary decision **_'Lacking leadership qualities…' _**Quistis thought, remembering their words. Hyne knew they were right, but doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? **_'Second chance…'_** Quistis thought, scoffing. Oh, she'd be needing a handful of 'Second chances' alright **_'No other way to get my life back on track…' _**Quite frankly, Quistis Trepe had nothing interesting going on in her life right now. But then again, when **did** she? Sure, she had her friends, who where much more than the **real **family she never had. Sure, she had her choice of admirers around the Garden, although she wasn't quite sure if that was actually good… But that just wasn't enough. Not even the missions were exciting enough for her anymore… She sighed and continued walking past the corridors of the main Hall and towards her dorm room. 

            She was quite surprised to find Selphie waiting outside. When she saw her coming, she turned around and gave her a weak smile. Now that was something rare for Selphie Tilmitt, who was always seen walking around with a broad, happy grin on her face. And as Quistis approached her, she noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. Could she have been crying? Quistis raised an eyebrow and quickened her pace towards her friend.

- _"Quisty… Welcome back…" _Selphie said and walked over to hug the blond haired ex-Instructor.

- _"Selphie…" _said Quistis putting her bag down _"Have you been crying?" _she asked worriedly. 

            Selphie didn't answer, just hugged her tightly. Quistis gently pushed her back and looked at her, no longer bright, green eyes.

- _"What's wrong?" _asked Quistis holding her arms.

- _"Go leave your bag and come with me…" _said Selphie quietly.

- _"Come where?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Up to Cid's office… You'll understand when we get there…"_ she said, almost in a whisper.

- _"Is everyone alright?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Just go… I'll wait for you here…" _said Selphie, avoiding answering her question.

            Quistis took out her keycard and slid it through the receptor. She hurried inside her room and threw her bag on the floor. She got back out, locked her room and followed Selphie, who had already begun to walk forward, down the corridor. Quistis was dying from anxiety, but decided to be patient until they got to the Headmaster's office. They silently made their way to the elevator, where Selphie pushed the button to the 3rd floor. The two of them, hurried inside the office, once there.

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            Inside Cid's office, many people were gathered. Edea was sitting on Cid's chair behind the desk, wiping the tears from her honey eyes with her slender fingers. Cid was looking outside the window, not saying a word. Rinoa and Xu were sitting next to each other, staring blankly at nowhere in particular. Zell was sitting across them, having fallen heavy into an armchair, with his arms resting on his lap, looking emotionless. Irvine was leaning against a wall, with arms crossed, while a frown was clearly visible on his face. Squall was sitting on a chair, rubbing his right temple with two fingers. 

            The moment Quistis and Selphie walked inside, hardly anyone turned around to look at them. Selphie walked over to Irvine, nuzzling her face into his chest, as he put his arms around her.

- _"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" _asked Quistis exasperated _"Why are you all like this? What happened?"_

            Edea turned and looked at her, but as soon as she did, she burst into tears again. Cid walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Some of them bit their lips, not saying a word. Squall was the only one to approach her. He got up and walking over to Quistis, handed her a piece of paper. Quistis swiftly grabbed it from his hands. Her blue eyes widened once she laid them upon the writing of the paper…

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_            Government of Galbadia _

_            Department of Justice_

_            Official Order of Execution_

_            The President of Galbadia, Zenton Deling, has ordered the execution of _**_Seifer_********_Almasy_**_, under the crimes of **betrayal** and **murder**. The execution will take place on the **19th of November** in __Deling__City__ grounds. _

_Virgil__Swanson__,_

_            Head-Secretary of Department of Justice. _

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            Quistis froze when she finished reading the order. She looked up at the others with difficulty and met everywhere the same look her own eyes had now. Astonishment, sorrow, pity…

- _"Is this… settled?" _asked Quistis in hardly a whisper _"I mean… Can't we do anything about it?" _she asked. Squall shook his head in response _"When did you…"_

- _"It came this afternoon." _he replied.

- _"But… why…? I thought… I thought he was going to be…"_ she mumbled.

- _"It was the only logical thing to happen Quistis…" _said Squall sadly _"We can't all pretend these charges aren't true or just…"_

- _"How can you-?" _began Quistis angrily.

- _"I'm not saying I don't feel sorry for him." _he said sharply _"And I won't say that he deserves what he's getting. No-one deserves a death penalty… But we have to face it; he **is** guilty."_

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- _"…he **is **guilty…"_

            Quistis was lying down on her bed staring up at the ceiling for hours. She had left Cid's office without saying a word earlier before. She feared that if she'd opened her mouth, only sobs would come out. Squall was right… Seifer **was** guilty. He had murdered innumerable innocent people, he had betrayed everyone and everything he once stood for, all for a dream. A dream that never truly came true… A dream that would eventually prove to be fatal… But no, that wasn't him… That wasn't the boy Quistis once knew. No-one could deny his cocky and selfish personality, but those certainly weren't the qualities that described an assassin… **_'Why…? Why Seifer?' _**thought Quistis **_'Why did you go and throw away everything you had worked hard for, for a stupid dream?' _**Stupid? Maybe to her, but to Seifer it seemed to have finally given meaning to his whole life. But is that what he was destined to be? A murderer? No… he wasn't that kind of man… Quistis knew better than to believe this was what he always dreamed of. All he ever wanted was glory and recognition from everyone, but it seemed to have brought his downfall… **_'Recognition…'_** Quistis' thoughts lingered to that certain word **_'Recognition… Surely something he never had in his life… Always coming second best to Squall… At least that's what he thought he was.' _**Quistis thought. She knew the truth though; Seifer was never second best to anyone. Not even to Squall. Those two were always on equal terms. Maybe Seifer was even better on certain aspects, but didn't let himself prove it. It was as if he longed for it so bad, but was afraid to outdo the man he considered his archenemy… Quistis knew… **_'But…' _**she thought **_'If I really knew… why did I never…?' _**she asked herself. 

            Realization struck her just then. What if she had paid more attention to Seifer, instead of always watching out for Squall, due to her childish feelings towards him? What if she hadn't withheld some of her praises to Seifer and given him some confidence on himself? She scoffed **_'More confidence? He had more than all the people on the globe combined… And THAT is called arrogance… Or did he?' _**Quistis thought. Was he really so confident on himself, or what is just a shield of protection to hide how he truly felt? **_'Could it be… my fault? For not praising him as much as I did praise Squall?' _**she thought. 

            She stopped thinking for a few seconds as it hit her; it was partially **her** fault. **She **was one of the people to blame for what happened to Seifer. **She** was one of the reasons of the wrong path Seifer chose in life. She should have guided him better, but instead she walked around in blinkers, having eyes only for her brown-haired student. She bent down to the floor, still on her bed, and grabbed the already half-empty bottle of Vodka standing there. In one huge gulp, she drank the rest, discarding the now empty bottle on the floor. The room soon began to spin around and Quistis felt her body falling roughly onto the hard mattress of her bed, her lips whispering a single phrase before she closed her eyes:****

- _"I'm sorry Seifer…"_

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                                                            _Do you really think this is your fault?_

- _"Yes… He ended up here because of me… I'm the one responsible…"_

_                                                                                    Do you regret on many decisions you've made in life Quistis?_

_            -  "Yes… But most of all for the one that is now costing Seifer his life…"_

_                                What would you do to change that?_

_                                                            -   "Anything…"_

  **** **** ****

_       Are you sure?_

_                                                                                                -  "Certain…"_

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**__**

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**__**

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Quistis wakes up in a place seemingly familiar at first… But things aren't always the way they look…_

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	2. Chapter 1: First steps into a new life

**A/N: **Whoo-hoo! My very first reviews on this! I'm glad to see that people were actually **waiting** for this to be posted… It really trips me out… 

BTW, something I forgot to say: The dialogue is in plain italics, the thoughts are in bold italics and the plain text is… well, plain text! Bold words indicate intensity in speech, while capitals stand for words being shouted (or intensity in thoughts, 'cause I can't get them any bolder!). Hope you didn't get confused before…

I've got the habit of responding to my reviewers, but only if I actually have something to say. So if I don't respond to some of you, I'm not ignoring you, I just got nothing to say…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ A note arrives in __Balamb__Garden__ informing everyone about the execution of __Seifer__Almasy__. Quistis seems to take it heavier than anyone else and goes on a drinking binge… J/K… OK, not funny… Anyway, a certain 'someone' comes to her sleep and talks to her… What will the next day be like? Read to find out!_

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                           Chapter 1: First steps into a new life **

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            Quistis squirmed around in bed, feeling her head about to break into a million pieces. She held her sore forehead with one hand, while rubbing her eyes open with the other. The morning light made them sting and she winced. She turned over to her other side and hugged her pillow, closing her eyes again **_'I'm never drinking again…' _**she thought and tried to go back to sleep. She didn't have a reason to get up anyway…  She covered herself under the warm blankets that had strangely reached her waist in her sleep; she always slept quietly, without moving at all **_'Must be the alcohol…'_**she thought shrugging. She tried to make herself comfortable on the mattress; it somehow felt different… More soft. Not that she minded, but it was still strange. Ignoring all thoughts, she resumed her efforts to fall back asleep. Something caught her attention though; she realized that the breathing sound she could hear didn't belong to **her**… Puzzled, she rubbed her eyes once more, opening them slowly. Her eyes soon focused and the, up to now blurred, image in front of her became clear. And what she saw made her jump back startled…

            There was a man sleeping right next to her. Not just **any** man though… The right side of her bed was occupied by none other than Seifer Almasy himself, in flesh and blood. Quistis' heart stopped momentarily. Her left hand fingers automatically slid to her right arm, pinching it roughly. A stinging sensation went through her body and she nearly let a groan of pain escape her lips. She winced, clenched her teeth and re-opened her eyes. So she wasn't dreaming… But how could she **not** be? Seifer was supposed to be held captive now, by Galbadian authorities, waiting to be executed in a few days. How could he be in **her** bed, in **her **roo-. Hold on… This **wasn't** her room. It was certainly a Balamb Garden SeeD dorm room, but definitely not hers **_'And definitely not a single-person room since the bed is… DOUBLE?!'_** she noticed for the first time, her eyes opening up wide. But those were only given to... -Quistis shuddered- couples… Yes, she was more than certain. Squall and Rinoa had a room just like that; Selphie and Irvine did as well...

            **_'Oh my Hyne… How can this NOT be a dream?' _**she thought, holding her head with both hands in despair. But the worse part had yet to come… As she was sitting up on the bed, the blanket slid from her skin, revealing her **naked** body. **Naked**… Afraid of what she was about to see, she hesitantly took another look at Seifer. Yep…Just as she feared… Well, at least that's what it **looked **like. He was covered up to his waist and his chest was bare. Taking a deep breath, Quistis slowly****grabbed the blanket and lifted it up, peeking underneath. Immediately, she jolted her head back up, eyes saucer-like, cheeks flaming red. He was nude alright… **_'But HOW?'_** Quistis asked herself. She took another deep breath and tried to maintain her composure **_'OK… Let's think logically here… I'll just ASSUME that there was the slightest chance of me sleeping with Seifer after being drunk or something… HOW can he POSSIBLY be here?! He just… CAN'T!' _**she thought, feeling as if she was going crazy.

            Right then, Seifer let out a sleepy moan and rolled over, lying onto his stomach, laying an arm onto her lap. Quistis jumped up at the feel of his touch. She tried hard not to scream, but she was breathing very fast, as if hyperventilating. She could **feel** his touch; this was certainly no dream… **_'Just a REALLY_** **_bad living nightmare…' _**she thought. She looked at him closely once more. It was indeed him; just like she remembered him, only he somehow seemed older. A bit manlier. By-passing the fact that this was quite odd since she hadn't seen him in less than a few months' time, she continued to examine him. His hair was just a bit longer and spikier. He'd also let a small golden goatee grow, hardly covering the front of his chin. Right then, Quistis noticed a small silver bead glistening right between his chin and bottom lip **_'A piercing, eh?'_** she thought and instantly wondered why the hell was she **actually** noticing things like that right now… She shook her head in disbelief, resting her back on the wall behind the bed. A thought suddenly crossed her mind; could it **not** be him? Could he be someone who looked disturbingly like him, she'd ended up in bed with? But such resemblance… Quistis let out a big sigh **_'I can't understand this… What's going on here?!'_** she asked herself.  

            Suddenly, the tall, towering figure lying next to her moved. Quistis both feared and couldn't wait for him to wake up. If he did, he'd explain what the heck was going on, but she would also have to face him… Her anguish didn't last long. The blond man yawned deeply and stretched, finally opening his eyes to look at her. Quistis gave him a terrified-slash-eager look. To her surprise, his facial expressions turned into a broad grin and his emerald green eyes lightened up at the sight of her.

- _"Good morning baby…"_ he said sleepily. Quistis let out a whimper _"Slept well?"_ he asked.

- _"I… I… guess so…" _she mumbled.

- _"Still a bit drowsy from last night?" _he asked grinning, touching her cheek. 

            Quistis flinched when his fingers touched her skin. He'd **never** touched her before… Not even once. And it felt so weird, because she always expected Seifer's touch to be rough, but instead she was surprised to feel his fingers gently stroking her cheek. A soft touch. **_'A lover's touch…'_** Quistis thought, but immediately shook herself mentally.****Right then, she realized that she was allowing him to see **much** more skin than appropriate. Swiftly, she grabbed the blanket and brought it up to her chest making Seifer grin mischievously.

- _"Nothing I haven't seen hundreds of times…" _he said, grabbing her waist with both hands.

            Before she had any time to react, he pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips hard against hers. Quistis felt numb; Seifer's teeth gently bit her lips playfully, then his tongue darted into her mouth, searching for her own. She didn't know what to feel; she was so confused that she couldn't tell whether she enjoyed or despised his way of kissing. She was suddenly **really** tempted to punch him away, but she realized that after –apparently- sleeping with him, that act would seem somewhat… deranged. Before she had time to realize what she was going to do as her mind had blurred, Seifer pulled away gently, biting her bottom lip one last time. Quistis relaxed her up to now widened eyes, then blinking a few times, she looked at the satisfied expression on Seifer's face **_'Damn arrogance…' _**she thought.

- _"Do you feel better?" _he asked taking a lock of loose golden hair away from her face _"From last night I mean. You had a lot to drink…" _he said **_'Aha!' _**thought Quistis **_'There we are!'_**

- _"Kind of better…" _she replied casually _"How much did I drink anyway?" _she asked.

- _"Two screwdrivers and ten shots of tequila…" _answered Seifer grinning _"Made you go wild…" _he added, winking at her **_'Well, that_****_ would certainly explain a lot…'_** she thought.

- _"Really?"_ she asked rubbing the back of her hair _"What did I do?" _she asked.

- _"Well…" _said Seifer biting his bottom lip _"Let's just say that after we got back from clubbing, even Cid on the 3rd floor could have heard us…" _Quistis turned burning red in a matter of one second at Seifer's remark. He noticed her discomfort and laughed _"I'll go have a shower. Care to join me?" _he asked raising an eyebrow.

- _"I…" _she said blushing -if that was possible- even more _"I… think I'll pass, thanks…" _she said grinning.

- _"Suit yourself…" _said Seifer shrugging.

            He held the back of her head with one hand and gave her one more swift kiss. Quistis drew a quick and deep breath, unable to react. Seifer broke the kiss and looked at her for a few seconds. He got up smiling, flinging the covers off his body and walked towards the bathroom, not bothering to put anything on. Quistis' jaw dropped; she should have looked away, but how could she? The sight was more than inviting… OK, so she **knew** what a naked man looked like, but seeing one in real-life, made her 'virgin' eyes sting with embarrassment. By the time she had decided to look away, Seifer had already reached the door of the bathroom.

- _"Last chance…" _he said leaning onto the doorframe _"You comin'?" _he asked seductively.

- _"Maybe… later…" _said Quistis grinning, trying to keep her eyes away from any 'dangerous' regions.

- _"You OK?" _he asked frowning a bit _"You're acting a bit… weird…"_

- _"I'm fine…" _she said a little too quickly _"Just still… drowsy… from last night…"_ she replied.

- _"Alright…" _he said and walked inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him. 

            Quistis fell heavy back onto the bed **_'Hyne… Why are you being such a cruel deity?' _**Quistis thought.

_                                                Now, now… Is that the 'thank you' I get for granting your wish?_

            Quistis jumped up in bed. That creepy voice from her dream again…

                                                                                                                        _That wasn't a dream…_

            **_'OK, now I'm freaking out…' _**thought Quistis looking around frantically.

                                                                        _No need to feel scared…_

_                        -  "W-w-what do you want?" _she stuttered.         

                        _I just wanted to calm you down… This isn't a dream Quistis. This is the different path you've now chosen in life._

_                                                                                    - "What do you mean by that?" _she asked confused.

_      You said you thought things would have been different if you've paid more attention to Seifer… _

_      Here's your chance to realize exactly **how** much different…_

_                                    - "But…" _Quistis began.

_                                                            Enjoy your new life…_

            The eerie sensation she felt when the voice was heard inside her head had now disappeared. Quistis was left looking thunderstruck. Was that who she thought it was? Apparently, the 'voice' answered upon her calls to Hyne… So either Hyne had given her a second chance, or she was going crazy. Probably the latter… **_'And now I'm DATING Seifer?!' _**she thought feeling desperate **_'All I ever wanted to do was SAVE him, not DATE him!'_** Just then, Seifer came out of the bathroom door, with a towel wrapped around his waist and another one, with which he was drying his hair off **_'At least now he's WEARING something…' _**she thought, feeling incredibly relieved.

 **__**

- _"Hey Quis?" _he said _"Are you sure you're feeling OK?" _

- _"Yes…" _she replied forcing a smile.__

- _"Why am I not convinced?" _he asked, sitting next to her in bed. Quistis' heart began to pound faster.__

- _"Honestly, I just feel a bit off from last night…" _she replied.__

- _"Look at me in the eyes and say that." _he said, holding her chin.__

            Quistis stared into the two green emerald orbs before her, unable to phrase a word, trying to hide her anxiousness. Unfortunately, Seifer seemed to read right through her and immediately caught her awkwardness.

- _"You're lying." _he said crossing his arms _"Something's wrong and you won't tell me. What is it?" _he asked, with a look of genuine concern in his eyes.

            Quistis had never seen him like that before. The Seifer **she** knew was never sweet and caring. He was always arrogant and spiteful. But the man before her was different… And she was even more surprised when he pulled her into his arms and began caressing her hair.

- _"What's wrong, huh? Tell me…" _he whispered.

            She closed her eyes and smelled his after-shave… She didn't want to admit it, but the sensation of him holding her felt **really** good and somehow familiar **_'Well of course it's familiar… I've obviously been with him for some time…' _**she thought. Her head was now resting on his still kind of damp chest and she could listen to his heart. She felt his strong, slender fingers slide through the locks of her hair, calming her down. She couldn't help but feel uptight, but in some weird, **_'Twisted…' _**she thought, way, it felt right. It made her feel safe and secure. She sighed deeply and turned her head up to look at him. Her eyes locked with his as he lowered his head to look at her too. 

- _"Well?" _he asked.__

- _"Will you believe me if tell you that I'm just… embarrassed for what happened last night?" _she asked.__

- _"No." _he said raising an eyebrow.__

- _"It's the truth…" _she said and tried to look as convincing as possible; it worked.__

- _"Alright, I believe you…" _he said smiling, although something in his expression told Quistis he wasn't buying it totally…__

            Quistis sighed in relief inwardly. But then she felt her stomach jump up, when Seifer leaned in again **_'Oh no. Oh Hyne. Don't do that… _****_Don-_****_ Mmm…'_** Quistis was less surprised this time round, but she still couldn't make out how she felt. Her awkwardness prevented her from feeling good or awful from the kiss. And did he **have **to kiss her **all** the time?! **_'Of course he has to, you idiot…' _**she cursed at herself **_'He's your…eww… 'boyfriend'…' _**Damn it… She had hardly been kissed in the past and now she found herself involved in an **actual** relationship out of the blue. She stopped to think that had it been someone else, she might have freaked out less. But given the fact that she was involved with a wanted criminal, who hated her guts for years and who should now be under Galbadian arrest, she couldn't feel anything but utter confusion. Seifer slowly pulled back from the kiss eventually, interrupting her thoughts.** __**

****

****

- _"I gotta go…" _he said huskily _"Before we get **too** carried away…" _he added, getting up from bed.

****

****

He walked up to the closet and opened it up. He took out a black T-shirt, a pair of slightly baggy jeans and a black leather jacket. Quistis raised an eyebrow at that; **_'Isn't he wearing his usual attire anymore?' _**she thought **_'How c- Oh Hyne…' _**Seifer had flung his towel off and was now in the process of putting his underwear on **_'Do it fast… PLEASE!' _**Quistis thought, trying –and failing- to look away. 

- _"If you don't stop checking out my ass, I really **will** stay, and have Puberty-boy all over my case later…"_ he said turning around, smirking.

            Quistis grinned at him awkwardly as he resumed getting dressed, thinking where the hell exactly was that 'third eye' on his back. The smirk… Now **there** was something that reminded her of the old Seifer so far. That and 'Puberty-Boy'. But what was Seifer talking about? Why mention Squall? **_'I have GOT to find out what's going on…' _**she thought, as Seifer approached her again, now fully dressed.

- _"I'll be done by 12 at __noon__. Come pick me up from the office for lunch, alright?"_ he asked.

- _"OK…" _said Quistis nodding **_'Office? WHAT office?'_**

****

****

Seifer gave her one last peck on the lips and walked out of the room. Quistis was left all alone in the room, staring blankly at nowhere in particular. She was still sitting up in the double bed, still naked and still utterly confused. Her glance wandered around the room; it was pretty plain, but tasteful. It kind of reminded her of her own **_'Well if I actually DO live here, that would make sense…' _**she thought. The room contained the double bed Quistis was laying upon, a nightstand next to it, a pretty big desk with two laptops and a coffee machine on it, a few cupboards and cabinets on the wall above, a pair of chairs, an armchair and a door which obviously led to the bathroom. Quistis' eye fell upon the nightstand next to the outer side of the bed. A framed photo stood on it. She moved closer to that side of the bed and reached out for the picture. 

            Not surprisingly, it was a couple-shot of her and Seifer. Quistis was wearing a long black strapless dress and had her hair down. Seifer was right behind her, holding her from the waist. He was wearing a pair of formal black pants and a white shirt which hung loose on top. He was slightly leaning down, so that their heads were resting against one another. They were both smiling and looked really happy… Quistis looked at the picture not knowing what she should feel… **_'Well… I suppose we make a… cute couple…' _**she thought, although 'cute' was an understatement… 

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            The cafeteria of Balamb Garden was crowded as always, even in the mornings when most students had classes. Quistis decided to go grab some coffee and get a bit of fresh air. Hyne knew she needed it. She was more than glad to find Rinoa and Selphie sitting on a table, chatting **_'I guess some things never change…' _**she thought smiling.

- _"Here's your coffee Instructor Trepe." _said the woman behind the counter, handing her a carton cup.

- _"Uhh… Thank you." _said Quistis kind of baffled and paid the woman.

****

****

She grabbed the coffee and walked over to her friends **_'Instructor? I'm an Instructor again?' _**she asked herself, puzzled **_'That's probably the first good thing I've heard so far…' _**she thought. She approached the table her friends were sitting at, receiving numerous 'Good mornings' from students on her way there **_'Typical…' _**Rinoa and Selphie spotted her walking towards them and smiled at her. Quistis sat down the table and set her cup on it.

- _"Morning!" _she said, happy to see them, taking a sip from her coffee.

- _"Morning…" _said Rinoa grinning mischievously _"My, my… Weren't **we** the loud ones last night?" _Quistis almost choked on her gulp.

- _"You… you… heard?" _she asked, blushing profusely.

- _"It's not like it was difficult… You probably kept the whole corridor up…" _said Selphie, grinning in an identical manner to Rinoa.

- _"Oh Hyne…" _said Quistis, holding her forehead with one hand.

- _"Hey, no need to be embarrassed. It's not the first time it happens anyway…" _said Rinoa shrugging **_'Oh great… Now THAT should make me feel better…' _**thought Quistis.

- _"So…" _said Quistis, trying to change the subject _"It's pretty crowded here, huh? Even when everyone has classes."_

- _"Classes?" _asked Rinoa raising an eyebrow.

- _"Quisty… It's Sunday." _said Selphie, looking at her puzzled.

- _"Oh…" _said Quistis **_'Well how the hell should I know what day it is?!' _**_"…right…"_ she added.

- _"Besides, everyone's free for the holiday break…" _added Rinoa.

- _"Damn, you really should drink less when we go out…" _said Selphie.

- _"Yeah… I guess I overdid it last night…" _said Quistis grinning.

- _"Well I suppose it was OK, since it was Seifer's birthday and all… At least you gave him a really good 'present'." _said Rinoa winking at her. 

****

****

Quistis grinned awkwardly at herand looked down at the small carton cup she was holding. Things just couldn't be any worse right now… First and most important, she had **no** clue what the hell was going on around her. Second, she was **dating **Seifer **_'Hmmm… Maybe that's the most disturbing issue of all…' _**she thought momentarily. Third, not **only** were they dating, but they were obviously quite the… Quistis stopped thinking, trying to imagine herself with Seifer… in bed… She felt her stomach rumble, threatening to spill its entire contents. And judging from the fact that she'd had a **lot** to drink last night as she'd been informed, that possibility was dangerously probable to happen. She sighed deeply, rubbing her sore forehead, deciding not to fill her brain with any more… 'unhealthy' thoughts. She took another sip from her cup as a discreet bell sound was heard and a voice Quistis recognized spoke through the PA.

- _"Commanders Almasy and Leonheart request Instructors Aki, Dincht, Kinneas, __Rogers__ and Trepe to their office. I repeat: _ _Commanders Almasy and Leonheart request Instructors Aki, Dincht, Kinneas, __Rogers__ and Trepe to their office." _said Xu through the intercom.

            Quistis failed to maintain her composure and this time, she choked on her coffee at the sound of 'Commanders Almasy and Leonheart' **_'Oh this ought to be good…'_ **she thought, as she got up from her chair.****          

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            **_'First of all… Zell and _****_Irvine_****_ are Instructors too? *Scoff* But the best part… Squall AND Seifer are Commanders? I mean… SEIFER?! Damn, _****_Cid_****_ must have been outta his mind…'_** thought Quistis, making her way to the elevator. She soon reached the third floor and looked around for the office. She found a door which read 'Commanders Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonheart' and entered it, shaking her head in disbelief.

            She found everyone else already there. Zell, Irvine, as well as Instructors Aki and Rogers were standing in front of a pair of desks. Squall was also standing, talking to them, while Seifer was slouched on a chair behind what seemed to be his desk and had his legs resting on it. He had his arms crossed behind his head and seemed to be bored out of his mind. When Quistis walked inside, he smiled at her and gave her a wink. Quistis blushed and approached the others.

- _"Morning, Instructor Trepe." _said Squall nodding at her _"Now that we're all here, we can begin. Please take your seats."_

            All five of them sat in armchairs in front of the two desks. Squall stayed up and began pacing back and forth the room.

- _"As all of you already know, we're experiencing a problem concerning the number of students in certain classes." _began Squall _"Commander Almasy and I, worked a bit on it and came up with a potential solution, but we'd like to hear your views on it first."_

- _"Where are the rest of the Instructors?" _asked Irvine.**__**

- _"This problem only concerns battling classes." _said Squall _"Anyway, we thought that the only means of solving that, since we can't afford any extra Instructors, is to cut down the number of students, by creating two new classes. You're here to discuss which one of you is willing to be working the extra shifts…"****_

- _"So basically…" _said Seifer interrupting Squall _"We wanna know whose life is emptier so that we can load him with more hours with the little creeps…" _he added smirking. Squall turned around and shot him a poisonous look.**__**

- _"Why don't you divide the hours, so that all of us get just a little extra more?" _suggested Quistis _"If you can do it this way, I can take some extra classes."****_

- _"No you can't!" _protested Seifer.**__**

- _"Why can't she?" _asked Instructor Aki, crossing her arms.**__**

- _"Because…" _said Seifer trying to figure something out _"… she's got…other…'stuff'… to do…" _Squall looked at him with an eyebrow raised.**__**

- _"I think that's an excellent idea Instructor Trepe." _said Squall grinning, looking at Seifer _"How do three extra hours sound to all of you?" _asked Squall.**__**

- _"I can handle it." _said Zell shrugging.**__**

- _"Me too." _said Instructor Rogers.**__**

- _"I'm in." _said Irvine.**__**

- _"Yeah, it's fine." _said Instructor Aki.**__**

- _"Excellent. Then it's settled. You'll all be receiving you new timetables after the holiday break. Dismissed." _said Squall.**__**

- _"Instructor Trepe?" _said Seifer, trying to look calm _"I uh… need to… inform you about something. Could you stay?" _he asked.****The rest of them rolled their eyes; it's not like it was a **secret** that Seifer and Quistis were an item… _"Hey, we said DISMISSED!" _yelled Seifer getting up.**__**

            The four Instructors shook their heads in disbelief and exited the office.

- _"Damn it… I'll teach those four to respect my authority…" _mumbled Seifer walking over to Quistis.

- _"Three guesses why they don't…" _said Squall grinning sarcastically.

- _"You and I will talk later 'Puberty-boy'!" _said Seifer pointing a threatening finger at Squall.

            Squall scoffed and went back to his pile of paperwork on the office. Seifer approached Quistis who was standing there awkwardly.

- _"So…" _he said raising an eyebrow _"Don't mind the extra hours, eh? I suppose you like seeing me less?"_

- _"Seifer, it's my job…" _said Quistis wearily **_'Heh… He always WAS a smart one…'_**__

- _"Yeah, yeah… I know…" _he said shrugging _"We're still up for lunch, right?" _he asked.__

- _"Sure…" _said Quistis shrugging **_'Oh well… If you can't avoid them, join them…'_**__

- _"Good… I'll see you in two hours." _he said and grabbed her waist, pulling her into a kiss.__

            Quistis stood stiff as Seifer's tongue penetrated her mouth fiercely. He noticed her discomfort and pulled away momentarily.

- _"Hey, 'Pubes'?" _he said turning to Squall _"Do you mind turning away? The sight's not for juniors. 'Sides, you're making my girl feel uncomfortable…" _he said, grinning sardonically.

- _"Whatever…" _mumbled Squall, shaking his head in disbelief.__

Seifer smirked and leaned back in. Quistis really **had** to get used to this now… Seifer obviously enjoyed doing it a lot and what possible excuse could she find to avoid it? _'Sorry, but I suddenly realized I'm disgusted by your kisses…' _Not that she was, but she couldn't tell if she enjoyed them either… Yet.

* * *

**A/N: **So… What did ya think? Too awkward? Awkward enough? **Not** awkward enough? Just gimme your opinions on this… And don't forget to press that little button down there and see what it does!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Quistis' first day in her new 'life' continues to present her with new surprises again and again and she decides to make a phone call to a certain someone to clear things out…_


	3. Chapter 2: Realizations

**A/N:** 'Ello everyone… Sorry for the delayed update, but as I've pointed out in another Author's note, I was unable to upload any documents due to… technical reasons… Anyway, back to the story… 

I'm not really happy about this chapter. I swear, I took my time to write it, I edited it again and again and again, but I just didn't seem to get it exactly the way I wanted to… Of course, the final judges are always the readers, so I'll shut up and let you see for yourselves whether you like it or not…

Everyone keeps telling me how much this story reminds them of 'Family man'. When I first heard this, I wondered what the hell 'Family man' was anyway… My guess was a TV show at first, 'cause I'm not American and I wouldn't happen to know it. Then a friend pointed out that it was a movie. So I went and rented it to see the similarity everyone was talking about. And I was surprised to see that you were indeed right. At least partly; the concept is the same, but the rest of the plot has nothing to do with it. Oh well… Here goes my excitement about thinking I'd come up with something original… ^_^  

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Samsung **

**_Last chapter summary:_** It was the beginning of Quistis' first day in her new life in the last chapter… Can things get any worse –or better- for her? Read to find out.

* * *

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                  Chapter 2: Realizations**

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* * *

**_            'Come on… It's gotta be in here somewhere…' _**thought Quistis, going through an agenda she'd found in her dorm **_'Damn it…' _**The number she was looking for obviously wasn't in there **_'Alright… Think, think!' _**she said to herself, touching her temples **_'Of course! My cell-phone!' _**she thought, starting to look around the entire room **_'That is, if I actually DO have one in this… life…' _**she thought. She went through the drawers of the desk. Not there. She then walked over to the nightstand and opened the first drawer. She began going through the stuff in there, when a small blue box caught her attention. She took it out and looked at it closely **_'Condoms…' _**she thought, staring at it terrified **_'OK, so MAYBE I could get used to this incessant kissing, but… Damn! How will I…?' _**she thought, throwing the box back inside **_'Argh! What if he tries anything TONIGHT?!' _**she thought, panicking **_'I need a damn excuse!' _**She paced back and forth the room, arms crossed behind her back **_'Hmm… I'll just probably tell him I've got my period…' _**she thought **_'That gives me a week, ten days tops, of time… Until I figure out something else…' _**she thought, and went back to searching the drawers for her cell-phone, **if** she actually owned one… 

            **_'Damn it… Nothing in the drawers…' _**she thought, running a hand through her blonde hair. She looked around the room, thinking where it could possibly be. Her eyes caught a small black purse, resting on the chair, where her clothes from last night hung **_'Could be in there…' _**she thought and walked towards the chair. She grabbed the bag and zipped it open, going through the contents **_'Lipstick, mascara, mirror, money, wha- ? Cigarettes?!' _**she thought, looking at the small red pack in bag **_'Don't take this personally Hyne, but you're REALLY starting to piss me off!' _**thought Quistis, going on searching **_'Aha! There it is!' _**she said to herself excitedly, pulling the small silver Samsung out of the bag **_'Just like my old one…' _**she thought. She quickly opened it and began searching through the name catalogue **_'A… B… C… D… E, there we are… _****_Edith_****_… _****_Elaine_****_… _****_Eleanor_****_… Found it!' _**she thought excitedly. 

            She closed the lid of the silver cell-phone and put it back in the purse, making a mental note to herself to make that call later. She checked her watch and saw it was 11:30. She still had half an hour before going to pick Seifer up. She walked over to her closet –more like, **their** closet- and went through it, looking for something to wear. She picked out a black maxi skirt, a black sleeveless turtleneck sweater and a pair of high-heeled boots **_'At least I've still got SOME sense of taste…' _**she though, while undressing. When she had worn her clothes, she walked inside the bathroom and took a look at herself in the mirror. She looked inside a few cabinets until she found her make-up kits. She applied some make-up base first and then went on putting some rouge on her cheeks. Suddenly, she stopped and stared at her reflection for a bit **_'Who am I getting all dolled up for, Almasy?' _**she asked herself. She gave it some thought and then shrugged **_'I still need to take care of myself. I AM a woman…' _**she thought, using some black mascara on her eyelashes **_'Since when were you 'taking care of yourself' before?' _**said a nagging little voice in the back of her head. Quistis rose an eyebrow **_'Shut up conscience…' _**she thought and went back to applying her make-up… 

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Hey Leonhart…" _said Seifer, looking up from the papers on his desk.

- _"Hmm?" _said Squall, not raising his head from his work.

- _"Up for a 'friendly' gunblade session this afternoon? My muscles are dying for some action…" _said Seifer, rubbing his sore neck with his hand.

- _"Someone has to stay at the office…" _said Squall, going on signing forms.

- _"Xu owes me one… She could stay…" _said Seifer with a mischievous grin on his face.

- _"Do I **want** to know?" _asked Squall, raising his head up for the first time.

- _"No…" _said Seifer smirking, shaking his head.

- _"Alright then… I'm sure as hell bored… I **could** give you some ass-whooping…" _said Squall grinning, going back to his work.

- _"Keep saying that to yourself. You might actually believe it…" _said Seifer in response, although he couldn't help but grin.

- _"Thought it up all by yourself?" _asked Squall smirking.

- _"Just 'cause **you** need help coming up with lines, doesn't mean all of us do…" _replied Seifer.

- _"Fuck off Almasy…" _said Squall chuckling.

- _"You know you love me 'Pubes'…"_ said Seifer smirking.

            The two Commanders laughed –in Squall's case, just grinned- and went back to their boring paperwork. They remained silent, until the door opened and a cheerful looking Rinoa walked inside. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a white sweater and had her hair up in a ponytail. She gave Seifer a nod which he returned and walked over to Squall's desk, hopping up on it.

- _"Hey you…" _she said sweetly, leaning down and giving him a peck.

- _"Hey yourself…" _said Squall smiling. 

- _"Ready to go?" _asked Rinoa.

- _"Already __noon__?" _asked Squall.

- _"Yep. Exactly 12:04." _said Rinoa checking her watch.

- _"OK… Just gimme a few minutes to clear out my stuff…" _said Squall getting up, gathering all the scattered papers on his desk. 

- _"Any plans for lunch Seifer?" _Rinoa asked the blond-haired Commander.

- _"Waiting for Quis. Probably going to Balamb…" _said Seifer, stretching.

- _"Oh yeah, I saw her talking with Xu downstairs. She should be up any minute…" _said Rinoa _"You guys care to join us?"_

- _"Sure…" _said Seifer shrugging _"I don't think Quistis will mind…"_

- _"She doesn't, I asked her before I got up here. She said the same thing you did." _said Rinoa. 

- _"OK then… Better get ready…" _said Seifer getting up, clearing off his desk.

            Squall and Rinoa waited for him, as he finished up and grabbed his leather jacket from the hanger, walking outside the office with them. The moment he stepped outside though, Quistis happened to be coming inside and she stumbled, falling right into his arms.

- _"A gift from the Gods…" _said Seifer grinning, helping Quistis up to her feet.

- _"Thanks…" _she said blushing.

- _"Mmm…" _said Seifer admiring her _"I love the all-black look… It's damn sexy…" _he said, biting his lower lip.

- _"Will you move it already? We don't have all day…" _mumbled Squall, who was standing right behind the door with Rinoa, waiting for him to budge.

- _"Leave it to Leonhart to ruin a moment…" _said Seifer scoffing and grabbed Quistis from the waist, pulling her aside.

- _"We're all going for lunch together, right?" _asked Rinoa.

- _"Sure." _said Quistis.

- _"My car or yours?" _Seifer asked Squall.

- _"Promise you won't drive like a maniac?" _asked Squall crossing his arms.

- _"My car…" _said Seifer smirking. 

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

             Quistis walked around the corridors of Garden being held tightly by Seifer, while Squall and Rinoa followed suit right behind them. Everyone they met gave them smiles, waved at them and many saluted their two Commanders. Quistis looked up at him as they strode down the hallways together. It made her feel good being held by someone, actually **being** with someone for the first time in her life. Even if that someone was him. Besides, he wasn't so bad after all… He was quite… attractive actually. She caught many female students eyeing her poisonously, while swooning on him as they passed through them. She could also recall many a time when she spotted a girl or more eyeing him during the lessons in the past. Seifer really was a **man**, she'd give him that. And definitely handsome. And really smart. If only he had a different character, maybe even she could have fallen for **him** instead of Squall **_'What am I talking about?' _**she thought **_'I HAVE fallen for him… At least in this… life…' _** Seifer caught her eye and smiled warmly at her. He leaned down and gave her a swift kiss, making her earn even more angry glares from candidates eager to fill in her position… **_'He can be really charming if he wants to…' _**Quistis thought when they broke apart **_'Why couldn't he have been so nice to me and everyone the first time around?'_** she thought.

            Right then, they reached the Parking Lot, where Seifer took out his keys from his jacket pocket. He pressed a small button on the keychain and set the alarm off. Quistis noticed that the flicker of light came from a **very** fancy looking car. It was a black convertible one, with an adjustable roof and four seats **_'Commander job pays well I see…' _**she thought, raising an eyebrow. Seifer opened the door for her, helping her inside **_'Smooth…' _**she thought, feeling surprised. Seifer walked around the car to the driver's seat and closed the door. Squall and Rinoa walked over to the back of the car and sat in the back seats. When everyone had fastened their seatbelts, Seifer turned the key in the ignition, put an arm around Quistis' shoulder and drove off.

- _"Where are we going, Balamb?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Yeah. Had something else in mind?" _asked Seifer.

- _"It's not like we have many choices…" _said Quistis grinning.

- _"Are you kidding me? I can say **one **word, we're borrowing the Ragnarok and we're off to Esthar for lunch!" _said Seifer, making Quistis laugh and Squall scoff _"What, not in the mood to see daddy?" _Seifer asked Squall.

- _"Bite me…" _said Squall giving Seifer the finger, although he couldn't help but grin. 

- _"Let's just settle with Balamb, shall we?" _Quistis asked.

- _"OK…" _Seifer said shrugging.__

            The car had just reached the Front Gates of Garden and Seifer slowed down a bit, looking for something in the cabinet. He took out a pair of shades and wore them. Although it was December, it was a really sunny day. Seifer took a look in the mirror above him, adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his hair, earning grunts from everyone.

- _"What?" _he asked innocently.

- _"Your damn hair looks fine! Just drive off already!" _said Rinoa exasperated.

- _"Your call…" _said Seifer smirking.

            He put his hand on the speed box stick and stepped hard onto the gas. The car wheels screeched and the black convertible sped off, reaching 100 m/h in a matter of seconds. Rinoa let out a small squeal and grasped Squall's thigh with one hand, squeezing it tightly. Squall fell back on his seat, eyes wide open –thanking Hyne that it was his **thigh** Rinoa had grasped-, while Quistis screamed to Seifer to slow down.

- _"Hey, it was her who told me to drive off!"_ said Seifer chuckling, slightly reducing the speed to 90 m/h.

- _"Damn you Almasy, you promised you'd drive sensibly!" _yelled Squall.

- _"I only said we should get my car… Never said anything about driving like a grandma…" _replied Seifer shrugging.

- _"Seifer, **please** slow down…" _said Quistis faintly, holding her head.

            Seifer shot her a sideways glance and immediately reduced speed to 60 m/h. 

- _"Quistis are you OK?" _asked Seifer, lowering his glasses.

- _"I'm fine…" _she replied taking a deep breath.

- _"Quisty, you don't look well… Maybe we should get back to Balamb…" _said Rinoa.

- _"It's nothing, really! Probably because I haven't eaten anything all day…"_ said Quistis.

- _"You positive?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Yes." _she replied firmly.

- _"Alright… So, where are we goin'?" _asked Seifer _"Rin, Squall, Quis, any ideas?"_

- _"We could go over at the Italian place. I'd die for some spaghetti right now!" _said Rinoa.

- _"Sounds good…" _said Squall.

- _"Babe?" _asked Seifer looking at Quistis.

- _"Sure, I'd like some pasta…" _she said shrugging.

- _"Good…" _said Seifer, pulling her close to him, so that her head rested on his shoulder _"Promise me you'll go see __Dr.__Kadowaki__ when we get back… You're getting me worried…" _said Seifer with a tone of genuine concern in his voice.

- _"You're worried about me?" _Quistis asked in disbelief.

- _"What kind of a question is that?" _asked Seifer exasperated _"You **know **I am!" _

- _"Why?" _

- _"Because I love you silly…" _he said giving her a peck on the forehead _"*Scoff* 'Why'…" _said Seifer shaking his head in disbelief and went on driving.

            Quistis froze. He **loved** her? She'd never heard those words spoken from anyone before… Having had no parents and no close friends until recently, she was truly shocked to hear them, let alone from someone like Seifer Almasy. She tried to convince herself they were only three plain words, but no matter how hard she tried, she failed to disregard the power those words held within. Things were beginning to get out of control; the awkwardness of the situation might have even passed as funny -in some sort of twisted way-, but it had now gotten out of hand. She couldn't even say for certain that she remotely **liked** Seifer, let alone love him… How worse could this day get? 

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_                                                               One meal and two pointless inter-Commander arguments later…_

            The two couples made their way back to Garden in Seifer's car. Once arriving at their quarters, everyone retired to their rooms, much to Quistis' dislike. She'd have to be alone with Seifer now… **_'Let's just hope he doesn't try… anything…' _**she thought, as Seifer unlocked their dorm room and walked inside. 

- _"Hwaah!" _he yawned, flinging his jacket off, hanging in on a chair.

            He took off his shoes and fell heavy on the bed, lying on his stomach.

- _"Tired?" _asked Quistis eagerly.

- _"Yeah…" _he mumbled, turning over so that he lay on his back _"Wanna get some sleep?" _he asked.

- _"Come to think of it…" _said Quistis stretching.

- _"Good…" _said Seifer removing his T-shirt and jeans, throwing them on the floor.

- _"Hyne, could you be more of a pig?" _asked Quistis jokingly.

- _"I'll pick them up later…" _whined Seifer, crossing his arms behind his head. 

            Quistis shook her head in disbelief and walked over to the closet. She looked around a bit, until she found a pair of pajama pants and a flannel T-shirt to wear. It then hit her that she had to get undressed in front of Seifer. She thought of going to the bathroom at first, but it **would** look suspicious… She took a deep breath and, facing the open closet, she began taking off her sweater. Behind her, Seifer rested his chin on his balled fist as he sat and watched her. Quistis could feel his eyes piercing her skin, as she let her skirt slip down. She folded her clothes and put them back in place. She hesitantly, moved her hands to her bra and undid it. She heard some noise and then footsteps, as she hurriedly put the flannel T-shirt on. She felt Seifer's hand touching her waist, while the other pulled her loose hair aside. Seifer leaned down and kissed the curve of her neck softly. 

- _"Hurry up…" _he whispered to her ear and walked back to the bed, giving her a mischievous grin. 

            Quistis wore the pajama pants and slowly turned around. She found Seifer lying on the bed, looking at her dreamily. He was wearing the pair of black boxers she saw him put on this morning and was patting the outer side of the bed, showing her he wanted her to come over. She forced a smile and walked over to the bed. She sat down and carefully lied next to him. Seifer pulled her close from the waist and gave her a peck on the nose, grinning.

- _"You're not gonna like this…" _she said quietly, trying to sound convincing _"… but I got my period this morning…" _

- _"Darn…" _he said sighing, kissing her neck _"That's OK… I can still hug you…" _he said smiling.

            Quistis sighed in relief inwardly; she'd gotten away with it… Seifer removed his hands from her waist and pulled the blanket underneath them. He covered themselves up, making sure Quistis wasn't feeling any cold. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and lied down next to her, sliding his hands back to her waist.

- _"Sleep tight baby…" _said Seifer, giving her a peck and closing his eyes.

- _"You too…" _mumbled Quistis.

            **_'He really seems to care…' _**she****thought, feeling utterly surprised **_'I guess he wasn't joking around when he said he loved me…' _**She took a moment to look at him. He seemed so innocent right now; his fair spikes of hair were messed up against the pillow, while his facial features looked so mild… His face was more manly now, but he still carried that sort of 'baby-face' style. He really **was** handsome… **_'I wonder how come I never noticed that before…' _**

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            Quistis woke up sometime in the afternoon. She rubbed her eyes open and came face to face with Seifer, who was still sleeping. She carefully slid out of his grasp, trying not to wake him up. Seifer squirmed around a bit and turned over, continuing his sleep. Quistis got up from bed and walked over to the desk, grabbing her purse. She walked to the door and quietly got out of the room. The door closed behind her and she rested her back against it, zipping the purse open. She took out her cell-phone and opened the lid, searching in her catalogue again to find the number she wanted. She pressed the button with the green phone on it, calling that certain number. Anxiety overtook her and she began pacing back and forth in the hallway in front of the door, waiting for someone to pick up. 

- _"Hello?" _said a female voice eventually.

- _"Ellone?" _said Quistis.

- _"Oh, hi Quisty!" _came the girl's cheerful response _"How are you?" _

- _"Fine, just fine…" _lied Quistis _"How about you?"_

- _"Peachy… I just came back to Esthar with Ethan." _she said.

            Quistis decided not to ask who Ethan was, but she assumed he was either a friend or her boyfriend.

- _"Oh really? How's __Ethan__?" _she asked.

- _"He's doing good. Oh, he says 'hi', he's right here with __me__.__"_ said Ellone.

- _"Tell him I said 'hi' too." _said Quistis.

- _"Quistis says 'hi'…" _said Ellone to someone, that Ethan guy obviously _"How's everyone else doing? How's Seifer?" _

- _"Everyone's doing great… Seifer's sleeping right now…" _

- _"Good, good…"_

- _"Listen, I needed to talk to you about something…" _said Quistis.

- _"OK, shoot."_

- _"It's not something I can say through the phone… Is there any possibility you could come over for a few days? I need your help…"_

- _"Quisty, is something wrong?" _asked Ellone worriedly.

- _"It's not serious… But I'm in need of your… powers…" _said Quistis.

- _"Why?" _asked Ellone.

- _"I really can't say through the phone… But don't worry, nothing's wrong." _said Quistis _"Is there **any** way you could come over at Balamb?"_

- _"Come over?" _asked Ellone surprised _"Like… these days?"_

- _"Yes…" _said Quistis, in a manner coming close to pleading.

- _"I dunno… Hold on a sec…" _said Ellone _"__Ethan__, what do you say we go over to Balamb for a few days? Quistis says she needs to see me…"_

            Quistis waited patiently for a few seconds, biting her fingernails anxiously. 

- _"Quistis? Still there?" _asked Ellone.

- _"Yes, I'm here…"_

- _"I just had this wonderful idea! What if we come over for Christmas and New Year's? I can ask __Uncle __Laguna__ to come over too." _said Ellone.

- _"Oh, that would be great!" _said Quistis _"When can you come?" _

- _"Probably tomorrow morning." _replied Ellone.

- _"Thank you **so** much!" _said Quistis _"I can't tell you how much this means to me!"_

- _"Don't mention it…" _said Ellone smiling.

- _"Oh and… Could you please not tell anyone about my call? It's kinda secret…" _said Quistis.

- _"OK… I'll tell everyone it was my idea. Just tell them I called you to inform you." _Ellone replied.

- _"Great! See you tomorrow Sis!" _said Quistis excitedly _"Thank you loads!"_

- _"Bye Quisty!" _

- _"Bye!"_

            Quistis terminated the call and sighed in relief **_'Ellone will help me remember everything now…' _**she thought and turned around to get back inside. She found Seifer awake, sitting up on the bed, smoking.

- _"Hey…" _she said.

- _"Hey…" _said Seifer stretching _"Where were you?"_

- _"Ellone called me. Guess what?! __Ethan__, her and Laguna are coming over tomorrow for the holiday!" _said Quistis delighted.

- _"Oh yippee!" _said Seifer mockingly, grinning.

- _"What?" _asked Quistis _"Don't you wanna see Ellone?"_ she said, sitting down next to him.

- _"It's not that…"_ said Seifer _"Ellone and __Ethan__ are cool with me, I like them, but you're forgetting about 'Puberty-Boy' and daddy…" _

- _"Jealous?" _asked Quistis crossing her arms.

- _"Pu-lease!" _said Seifer exasperated _"I just can't stand to hear Leonhart bitching about his dad…"_

- _"Laguna is a great man…" _said Quistis.

- _"I know that… He's a bit goofy for my taste, but still… he's OK. Tell that to 'Pubes'…"_ said Seifer taking a long drag from his cigarette _"Anyway… It couldn't be any worse than last year…" _said Seifer chuckling. Quistis obviously couldn't remember what had happened last year, but she laughed along _"Hey…" _said Seifer giving her his most charming smile _"Can you make some coffee?"_

- _"Say the magic word…" _said Quistis.

- _"Please?" _asked Seifer lowering his bottom lip. Quistis grinned.

- _"Alright… how do you drink it?" _she asked, but realized as soon as she did that it was a stupid question.

- _"Black, with just a hint of milk…" _said Seifer raising an eyebrow _"Don't you know?"_

- _"Of course I do silly!" _said Quistis grinning _"Just messin' with ya…"_

            Fortunately, Seifer bought it and smiled. Quistis got up and walked over to the coffee machine. She poured some water inside, put coffee inside the filter and switched the machine on **_'Dammit, dammit, dammit! How could I've let this slip? A few more of those mistakes and he'll be on to _****_me_****_._****_' _**she thought, while waiting for the coffee to get ready. After a couple of minutes, she poured the steaming liquid into two big mugs, putting some milk in Seifer's, milk and sugar in hers and walked over to the bed.

- _"Here you go…" _she said handing him one mug.

- _"Thank you…" _he said giving her a peck.

            Quistis found herself flinching only a bit to that kiss **_'I guess I'm starting to get the hang of this…' _**she thought.

- _"Slept well?" _asked Seifer, taking a sip of coffee.

- _"Yeah, I needed it…" _said Quistis.

- _"Still felling dizzy?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Nah, it went away right after lunch." _replied Quistis.

- _"When are you gonna go see __Dr.__Kadowaki__?" _he asked.

- _"Tomorrow. It's probably just bad diet." _replied Quistis.

- _"You'd better pray it's not, or else I'll be feeding you vegetables with a ladle till you choke!" _he said seriously, making Quistis laugh again.

- _"You make me laugh…" _she said, touching his cheek tenderly.

- _"Yes…" _said Seifer resting his mug on the nightstand _"It's one of my innumerable traits…" _Quistis grinned. Seifer looked at the clock on his nightstand and spoke _"I have to get back to the office… **again**, in an hour or so. I'll go grab a shower and go, OK? Sorry I can't stay more…" _he said, looking kind of glum.

- _"It's alright. I understand…" _said Quistis.

            Seifer smiled at her, gave her a kiss on the forehead and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. _ **'I need some fresh air…'**_ Quistis thought and got up. She wore a pair of jeans she found inside the closet and wore a coat on top. She walked over to the bathroom door and knocked.

- _"I'm going out for a walk." _she said.

- _"K…" _she heard Seifer say from inside the bathroom. 

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis walked around the cement porch behind the Front Gate of Balamb Garden. Only a few hours ago, she felt depressed because nothing exciting ever happened in her life. And now, the little time she had spent with Seifer brought her enough excitement to last a lifetime… She suddenly felt jealous of the 'Quistis' who lived that life. _She_ had obviously found someone she loved in her life and he loved her back, had the job she always wanted and in general, things for her were just too damn rosy… **_'It's not fair…' _**she thought **_'Just because of a different choice in life, I get all the misery and 'she' gets all that? What games are you playing with me Hyne?' _**Quistis rested her arms on the railing and looked at the view before her. The Garden was mobile for the meantime and stationed at its original location near Balamb, so that all the students could go visit their families for Christmas break. (A/N: Which is kind of irrational if you think that they don't worship Christ… ^_^ Either way, just pretend that this holiday exists in the FF8 world too, OK?)

            Quistis closed her eyes as she felt the cool breeze blow on her face. Her long blond locks of hair floated in the wind, as she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. When she decided she'd gotten enough air for the night, she walked back inside the Garden halls **_'I wonder…' _**she thought as she walked back to her and Seifer's dorm **_'_****_Will_****_ I wake up tomorrow to find I was just dreaming? And more importantly… Will I feel disappointed if I was?'_**           

* * *

**A/N:** So… Quisty decided to call Ellone. What for? You figure it out on your own! (I already said it; it's not that hard…)

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Ellone, __Ethan__ and Laguna all arrive in Garden._

_Quistis seizes the opportunity and secretly talks to Ellone about what's happening to her. How will Ellone react to Quistis' story?_


	4. Chapter 3: Family Reunion

**A/N:** Yet another late update and yet another chapter which didn't come out the way it intended to… I can't apologize enough, but things were just too damn awful for me these days… Some of my teachers were kind enough to inform us last Thursday that we're taking the first two exams the following week, giving us… 7 days to prepare. On a second note, I **have** to hand in an assignment by Wednesday, which should be 25 pages long and has yet to begin being written. The reason? I spent the last two days consoling my best friend for the loss of her father who passed away Friday morning.  Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that I ask for your understanding for the following weeks as I'll be rammed with work from every direction. I **will** update, just not in the supposed 4-day basis. And thank you all for your support through your reviews…

**_Last chapter summary:_** _Quistis called Ellone to ask for her help. Today, Ellone, along with __Ethan__ –her boyfriend- and Laguna visit __Garden__…_

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                Chapter 3: Family reunion **

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_                                                                                                   The next morning…_

- _"Hold still Squall!" _whined Rinoa, while she tried to fix Squall's hair.

- _"Rinoa, leave my hair alone!" _said Squall through gritted teeth.

- _"The President's coming! You have to look your best!" _she said ignoring his pretests.

- _"For Hyne's sake! He's just my dad!"_ said Squall exasperated, but shot his eyes wide open as soon as he did.

- _"Ha! I made you call him 'dad'!" _said Rinoa cheerfully _"You-called-him-daaaad…" _she chimed, hopping around cheerfully like a schoolgirl.

            Squall simply grunted and straightened out his clothes. They were all gathered at the Main Hall, right in front of the Directory, waiting for Laguna, Ellone and Ethan's arrival. Seifer, Squall and Cid with Matron were sitting in front to be the first ones to salute him, while all the others stood behind them; Quistis, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine and Zell.

- _"Oh I'm so excited!"_ squealed Selphie _"We're gonna see Sis, __Sir__Laguna__ and Sis' boyfriend all together!"_

- _"Yeah, I know…" _said Zell _"I've missed them all…"_

- _"I've never met Sis' boyfriend…" _said Irvine _"What's he like?" _he asked.__

- _"They came here last year during summer. You and Selph were in Trabia then, that's why you didn't meet them." _said Zell.__

- _"__Ethan__'s pretty cool." _said Rinoa _"He's about you height…" _she said looking at Irvine _"He's got short blond-brown hair, a brow ring and THE cutest honey eyes!" _

- _"Don't let Squall hear you say that…" _said Zell grinning.__

- _"I was only making an observation!" _whined Rinoa.__

- _"Ooh, now I **can't** wait to meet him!" _said Selphie cheerfully, earning a glare from Irvine _"I love you…" _she said to him, grinning.__

- _"Anyway…" _said Zell _"He's strangely taken a liking to Alm-ASS-y…" _It was his turn to be glared at by Quistis _"What?" _he said exasperated _"He can call me 'Chicken-wuss' all the time and I can't call him that?"_

- _"It's OK Zell…" _said Quistis chuckling. She'd missed the incessant quarrels and taunts between those two…__

- _"So, like Zell said, he and Seifer became pretty good friends. __Ethan__ said he liked Seifer's style…" _said Rinoa.__

- _"From what I realized, __Ethan__'s pretty much into teasing everyone as well… But always with a good intention…" _said Zell.__

- _"So, how did they meet?" _asked Selphie eagerly.__

- _"__Ethan__ has been working in Laguna's office for years. He used to be an assistant for Laguna's legal advisor, but he's already a lawyer himself. He was just getting a bit of 'training'." _said Rinoa _"He's about Ellone's age… I couple of years older I think…" _

- _"__Ethan__ noticed Ellone one day when she came into Laguna's office. At first she hated his guts…" _said Zell chuckling _"She said she thought he was 'the most conceited ape' she'd ever met!"_

- _"They used to fight all the time, mainly because __Ethan__ teased her to get her attention, but she fell for him and they started dating. Isn't it romantic?" _said Rinoa giggling.__

- _"Kinda like Seifer and Quisty…" _said Selphie, eyeing her blonde comrade.__

- _"Oh shut up…" _said Quistis blushing.__

- _"Hee, hee… You **know** it's true…" _giggled Selphie. __

            Quistis laughed inwardly. That's how she thought she probably ended up with Seifer; after some **serious** quarrels and fights. Her thoughts drifted to the blond man who stood before her. That morning, when she woke up next to him, she felt kind of… relieved. She hadn't been dreaming after all. She was still in the same room, next to the same guy, with the same awkwardness and tension that came along with each touch… And she kind of liked it… She liked the sensation of waking up in someone's arms, having him sweetly whispering 'Good morning' to her, while kissing her lips softly. She liked having someone telling her he loved her, telling her he found her beautiful and unique… But was she just using Seifer to hold on to that sensation? Or was he a welcome part of the entire 'package' that came as her new life? She didn't know… Not yet… 

- _"There they are!" _came Rinoa's squeal, jolting Quistis back to reality.

            Quistis smiled broadly as she saw three people approaching the Hall where they stood. The two of them, were familiar faces. The third, seemed like a distant memory of a dream, which would make sense, as she was supposed to have met him before. Ethan, Ellone's boyfriend, was exactly like Rinoa had described him. Cool… And as he held Ellone tenderly from her waist, Quistis couldn't help but feel really content for her childhood friend. She seemed to be glowing from happiness. Laguna looked just fine as well. Looking nothing like his 56 years, he still had the spirit of a teenager. The pair of jeans and sweater he was wearing helped a lot in making him look younger. His hair was still as long as ever, although his raven locks were now mixed with grey ones as well. Cid and Edea were the first ones to approach the three visitors, exchanging handshakes with them and, in Edea's case, hugs.

            Squall sighed and prepared himself for yet another 'reunion' with his father. Seifer noticed his discomfort and smirked.

- _"What's the matter 'Pubes'?" _he asked _"Aren't you happy to have your pop back here?"_

- _"Blow me Seifer…" _said Squall frowning.

- _"Aw, c'mon… Cheer up… He may have brought you a Christmas Present…" _Seifer said grinning.

- _"Fuck you… You couldn't possibly understand…" _mumbled Squall, lowering his head.

- _"Don't try and make me look like the heartless asshole here Leonhart, because if there **is **one in this room, it's you…" _said Seifer, seriously this time _"Give the poor man a break. He's obviously done more than **my** father ever has…"_ said the fair-haired Commander, walking forward to greet the trio.

            Squall looked at him raising an eyebrow. He watched Seifer give Ellone a big hug, Laguna a firm handshake and receive a high-five from Ethan. He shook his head and proceeded in welcoming all of them as well…

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis was sitting in her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Sis should be there any moment… When she hugged her for welcome back in the Hall, Ellone whispered to her that she would claim to be tired and then sneak into her dorm to talk. Seifer was in the office at that time and would be missing for a fair few hours, so they had plenty of time. No sooner had she thought of Ellone, than the door knocked. Quistis got up and walked over to open it. 

- _"Made it…" _said a smiling Ellone, standing behind the door.

- _"Good… Thank you **so** much…" _said Quistis, closing the door behind her.

- _"I hope you don't mind that I told __Ethan__ about this," _said Ellone _"I just didn't want him getting any 'ideas' about where I went…" _she added grinning.

- _"It's OK," _said Quistis smiling _"Where is he anyway?" _she asked.

- _"He went up to Squall and Seifer's office to hang out with them. I made him promise he wouldn't say anything though. Especially not to Seifer." _replied Sis.

- _"Oh good." _said Quistis _"Have a seat."_

            Ellone walked over to the double table and sat down.

- _"Coffee?" _asked Quistis.

- _"No thanks. I just had some." _said Ellone.

- _"OK… I'll just get right to the point then…" _said Quistis sitting right next to her.

- _"I'm listening…" _said Ellone eagerly.

- _"First of all," _began Quistis hesitantly _"I want you to keep in mind that I'm **not** crazy."_

- _"Why would I ever think you are?" _asked Ellone puzzled.

- _"Because what you're about to hear will be pretty… bewildering…"_

- _"Quisty, you're scaring me…" _said Ellone narrowing her eyes in fear.

- _"Trust me, you're not the only one scared…"_ said Quistis adopting a similar expression.

- _"Well, go on! Tell me! What is it?" _asked Ellone impatiently. 

- _"The previous morning," _began Quistis taking a deep breath _"I woke up into something totally new." _Ellone raised an eyebrow.

- _"Meaning?" _she asked.

- _"Meaning… that I went to sleep into a different world and woke up in another one…this one…" _said Quistis, looking at Ellone worriedly, afraid she might take her for some sort of nut.

            Ellone looked at her with an expression of ultimate confusion. She blinked a few times, then spoke.

- _"Quisty I'm still not following you…" _she said.

- _"Alright," _said Quistis taking a deep breath, tucking some strands of stray hair behind her ears _"Have you ever had a dream, where you saw that you were in a totally different world?"_

- _"Yes. Many times." _replied the brunette.

- _"That's what happened to me. Only I realized I'm not dreaming…" _said Quistis.

            Ellone sat up, feeling uneasy. She stared at Quistis' blue eyes for a few moments, not saying a word. She took a deep breath, staring blankly at nowhere in particular.

- _"I believe you Quistis." _she said eventually.

- _"You do?" _asked Quistis eagerly.

- _"Yes. Although I can't quite comprehend completely what you just said… I believe you." _she repeated.

- _"Oh thank you!" _said Quistis leaping into her arms.

            Ellone caressed the fair locks of her little 'sister's' hair, as she held her in her arms. After a while, she gently pushed her back and looked at her, holding her arms.

- _"But I need you to tell me more things, so that I can help you in whichever way you think I can." _said Ellone.

- _"OK… What do you need to know?" _asked Quistis.

- _"This… different world you say you come from… What exactly is different there?" _asked Ellone.

- _"Let's take things from the beginning," _said Quistis sitting up straight _"In 'my' world, things are only different from the moment I became an Instructor here."_

- _"How so?" _asked Ellone.

- _"You'll understand later on." _said Quistis _"In the other world, when I became an Instructor, I couldn't help but show some…impartiality towards Squall."_

- _"Squall?" _asked Ellone confused.

- _"Yes, Squall." _repeated Quistis _"As a result, I neglected other students and I was quite… spiteful towards a certain one."_

- _"Lemme guess… Seifer?" _asked Ellone crossing her arms.

- _"Exactly." _replied Quistis _"I always tried to protect Squall, I always praised **him**, so Seifer ended up being the one taking the blame all the time. You know what a gifted soldier he is, but he just never got any praise for it from me…" _she added, lowering her head.

- _"Go on…" _said Ellone, intrigued of what would come next.

- _"As a result, Seifer never passed the SeeD exam while Squall passed with flying colors. Eventually, Seifer ended up becoming Edea's Knight during the war, while she was possessed." _narrated Quistis.

- _"Her Knight?" _asked Ellone puzzled.

- _"It was his childhood dream. So he joined the… let's say 'dark' side. Then, when we fought the Galbadians…"_

- _"Just like it happened here…" _interrupted Ellone.

- _"We fought the Galbadians here too?" _asked Quistis. Ellone nodded _"I see… Anyway, when we infiltrated __Galbadia__Garden__, we faced Seifer and Edea in battle again… Seifer later on disappeared, Edea came back to her senses, but Rinoa became possessed by the same Sorceress that had possessed Edea."_

- _"Ultimecia." _said Ellone.

- _"Yes!" _exclaimed Quistis.

- _"I can see that your 'world' is not very different from this one…" _said Ellone rubbing her chin.

- _"Obviously… Actually, it's only a matter of a different choice…" _said Quistis.

- _"Which choice?" _asked Ellone.

- _"You'll find out later on…" _said Quistis _"So… In our attempts to cure Rinoa, we sent her into space…"_

- _"Where she broke the seal of __Adel__…" _said Ellone.

- _"Yes! And then after the Lunar Cry…"_

- _"You invaded the Lunatic Pandora to save me…" _added Ellone.

- _"Exactly! We fought Seifer again, beat him, but when he escaped, he tried to sacrifice Rinoa to Adel."_ said Quistis.

- _"Impossible!" _said Ellone surprised.

- _"Seifer's the 'bad guy' in **my** world Ellone…" _said Quistis sadly.

- _"Continue please…" _said Ellone, more interested than ever in Quistis' story.

- _"Anyway, we fought __Adel__ and beat her as part of our plan. Then you came over and sent her conscience into Ultimecia." _narrated Quistis _"Right then, Time Compression began and the six of us, me, Squall, Rinoa, Zell, __Irvine__ and Selphie, were found in Ultimecia's world, where we fought her." _

- _"And…?" _asked Ellone biting her nails in anxiety.

- _"We won. And then everything went back to normal…" _finished Quistis.

- _"Oh wow…" _said Ellone impressed _"But what about Seifer? What happened to him?"_

- _"Right to the heart of the 'problem'…" _said Quistis smiling weakly _"A couple of months after the battle against Ultimecia, we received an official form from the Galbadian government, announcing the capture and execution of Seifer…"_

- _"What?!" _Ellone cut in.

- _"Yes…" _said Quistis _"When we found out, all of us felt sorry for Seifer, even though he was guilty of all the charges pressed against him…"_

- _"What charges?" _asked Ellone, afraid of Quistis' answer.

- _"Betrayal and murder." _said Quistis coldly.

- _"That can't be true!" _said Ellone gasping.

- _"I'm afraid it was…" _said Quistis sighing _"The very same night we received that form, I locked myself up in my dorm and thought about many things while drinking. I came to the conclusion that the way Seifer ended up was mostly my fault…" _said Quistis, lowering her head.

- _"Don't say that Quisty! Why would it be your fault?" _asked Ellone. Quistis scoffed.

- _"Because someone… Hyne actually… came to my sleep that night and granted me a second chance. A world in which I made a different choice. A world in which I paid Seifer more attention when he was my student… **Your** world… **This** world…" _said Quistis, while a silent tear ran down her face.

- _"So…" _said Ellone bewildered _"You woke up the next morning here?"_

- _"Yes. And that's the end of my story…" _said Quistis, wiping her wet eyes.

- _"Oh my Hyne…" _said Ellone staring at her blankly.

- _"It's unbelievable, I know…"_ said Quistis.

- _"Come here…" _she said hugging Quistis tightly.

            Quistis tried to hold her tears inside, but they finally got the better of her. She began sobbing loudly, while Ellone caressed her back.

- _"It all happened because of me Ellone!" _whispered Quistis between tears _"I cost Seifer his life!"_

- _"Hey, hey… Hyne is fair… She saw that you were sorry for your choice in the past and gave you this chance to make up for it… Besides, you couldn't have possibly known where that would have led you…" _said Ellone, comforting her.

- _"I need you help…" _said Quistis pulling, back, looking at Ellone with eyes red from tears.

- _"I'll do anything…" _said Ellone.

- _"I need you to show me my past…" _said Quistis _"My past here… In **this** world…" _Ellone looked at her puzzled _"I **have** to know Ellone! Because right now I'm with someone I never loved before, but he claims to love me! I need to know how, why I loved him. I need to know what happened that led me and everyone else here! Please show me…"_ she pleaded.

- _"Alright…" _said Ellone nodding _"Lie down…"_

            Quistis lied on the double bed as Ellone told her to do. Ellone breathed deeply and tried to concentrate.

- _"Close your eyes…"_ shewhispered.

            The last thing the azure eyes saw where the ceiling of the room, slowly disappearing from sight, behind long eyelashes. And then, a feeling of the conscience being drawn away into the abyss…

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the small chapter, but I just **had** to fit this scene in somewhere. BTW, I was thinking of writing a short fic about Ellone and Ethan right after I finish this. I've never tried to approach Ellone's character before and it's something I'd really like to try. What do you guys think?

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_As of the next chapter, we begin the re-telling of the original story events which led to Quistis' 'new life'…_


	5. Chapter 4: The SeeD exam Part I

**A/N: **Hey everyone… Sorry for the cliffhanger on the last chapter, but I really **had** to stop it there, 'cause from this chapter I begin my re-telling of the story. Just keep in mind that the format is exactly the same, except for a small detail. Quistis' thoughts –the Quistis who is with Ellone and is watching all this- are written in plain italics, OK? From time to time, the 'narration' will be paused and you'll hear some comments from Ellone and Quistis on what they've just seen. If you don't like the format and have a suggestion on how it could be done better, feel free to let me know.

I hope you enjoy this!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Quistis shares her story with Ellone and Ellone agrees to help her remember her past…_

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**_                                                                                                          A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                Chapter 4: The SeeD exam – Part I **

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* * *

Darkness… Only darkness… For what seemed endless hours, nothing but darkness… Then, a distant voice…

                                                                        _Quistis?__ Can you hear me?_

_                                                Yes Ellone… _

_                        Good… I'm about to send you back to the days where you were Seifer's Instructor. If you need me, just call out for me. I'll be the only one to hear you…_

_                                                                                                            Alright…_

Quistis felt her consciousness slipping away once more. Slowly, the darkness began getting more clear and luminous…

* * *

            Quistis was sitting inside a classroom behind her desk. She was resting her chin on her balled fist and was looking across the room, over to her students, who were all bent over their desks, scribbling something onto the papers in front of them. _'Test time…'_ The students all seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen _'All familiar faces… There's Andy Wallace, Susan Andrews, Annya Scholes, Jacob Stuart… And… Seifer…**'**_ The only pupil inside the room not wearing a SeeD cadet uniform was a tall blond boy sitting in the back. He was wearing a pair of black pants, a blue vest with a white cross in the front and a long grey trench coat with a red Fire Cross symbol emblazoned on each sleeve. He was sitting relaxed, unlike any other student inside the room, resting his elbows on the back of his seat as he looked around the room. Seifer Almasy in all his seventeen years _'Where's Squall?'_ At some point, the green eyes of the blond boy sparkled, a good sign that he meant trouble. He grabbed his notebook, _'Seifer is actually carrying a NOTEBOOK?!' _ripped a page from inside and curled it up into a ball. He spotted a boy sitting uneasily on his chair, fidgeting around as he tried to remember the answer to the question he was on. Seifer grabbed the paper ball in one hand, stuck his tongue out while trying to aim, closed one eye and flung the ball towards the boy, hitting him square on the head. The boy let out a small yelp, jolting up from his seat startled, as Seifer and the rest of the classroom erupted into laughter.

- _"Silence!" _said Quistis tapping her palm on the desk _"Back to your tests!" _

            Seifer was covering his mouth with both hands, still chuckling silently. The boy, who had received the paper ball, eyed him poisonously and then bent back down to his test.

- _"Seifer, a word?" _said Quistis, crossing her arms.

****

****

The fair-haired student got up from his chair grinning mischievously and approached the Instructor's desk.

- _"Yes?" _he said smiling broadly, once having reached Quistis.

- _"Seifer, how many times have I told you not to disturb your classmates, especially when it's test time?" _she asked, looking up at him.

            Although she was scolding him, her face had a small grin appearing across it. She had lowered her glasses and was giving her boisterous student the look a mother would have when she was telling off her child, but tried not to upset it at the same time _'What the hell? He just pulled a joke on that boy and I'm scolding him as if I'm afraid of hurting his feelings?!'_

- _"OK, OK…" _said Seifer grinning _"Won't happen again…"_

- _"That's not what I want to hear…"_

- _"Fine…" _said Seifer sighing _"I'm mumble"_

- _"What's that? I didn't hear you…"_ said Quistis playfully.

- _"I'm sorry!" _said Seifer exasperated.

- _"Tell that to your classmate, after the test. Now go on, you've missed precious time by fooling around." _she said.

- _"I've already finished." _said Seifer smirking.

- _"Finished?" _asked Quistis raising an eyebrow, looking at her watch _"You've still got twenty minutes left."_

- _"I know. But I've finished."_ he said, the proud smirk never leaving his face.

- _"**All **of the questions?" _she asked.

- _"Yes, all…" _said Seifer impatiently.

- _"Have you checked your answers?"_

- _"Twice…"_

- _"Hmm… Then bring over your paper." _said Quistis, eyeing him suspiciously.

            The blond hurried back to his desk and grabbed the piece of paper lying on his desk. He gave a wink to a girl who looked at him dreamily as he passed by, making Quistis roll her eyes and the girl giggle like mad, and walked back to the Instructor's desk. He handed her the Test paper and stood right behind her.

- _"Go back to your seat Seifer."_ said Quistis.

- _"No way, I wanna watch." _he said.

            Quistis sighed and grabbed her pen, looking at the paper before her. She began scanning it… She reached the end of the questionnaire, without making any marks. She wasn't surprised though; Seifer was her best student _'What?! NO mistakes? That can't be possible…'_

- _"Well…?" _asked Seifer cockily.

- _"Well what?" _asked Quistis removing her glasses, looking up at him.

- _"I passed, didn't I?" _he asked, certain of her response.

- _"The results of the written SeeD exam will be posted sometime after class Seifer, you know that." _she said.

- _"Aw c'mon! Tell me!" _said Seifer.

- _"Back to your seat." _said Quistis grinning _"And **no** talking or teasing." _

- _"Tsk, fine!" _he said walking back to his seat.

            Quistis smiled. Seifer had passed alright… With nothing less than almost full marks…

* * *

            The blonde Instructor glanced at her watch. The one hour was now officially up, marking the end of the exam.

- _"Pens down everyone…" _said Quistis _"Time is up. Bring your papers over. Keep in mind that the results will be posted on the board outside, in about half an hour."_

            A mixed sound of sighs of relief, grunts, yelps and silent curses was heard. Some students stretched in their seats then slowly got up. Two dozens of kids in blue uniforms approached the desk, leaving their papers on it. Last came Seifer, walking casually, hands in his pockets. He gave Quistis a grin as he passed by her desk and then walked outside with the rest of his classmates.

            Quistis gathered the scattered papers on her desk, stacked them and took out her pen to start correcting them. Sixteen passed, eight failed. Quistis turned over to her laptop on her desk and began typing into a blank workbook sheet. She typed in the results, as well as the mark for each student, saved the file and then printed it. She signed the piece of paper and walked outside the classroom to post it. Just when she reached the door and opened it, she was surprised to find Seifer waiting right outside.

- _"Argh!" _she yelled, startled.

- _"Scared ya?" _asked Seifer, smirking.

- _"What are you doing standing out here?" _she asked, trying to catch her breath.

- _"Waiting for the results…" _he said casually.

- _"Right outside the door? Geez…" _she said, walking out as he moved out of the way.

            Quistis unfolded the piece of paper with the results on it, getting ready to pin it up. She removed a stray pin from the board and pierced it through the top of the page. She turned around and noticed Seifer was standing right behind her, towering her with his tall frame.

- _"Well c'mon! Hurry up!"_ he said impatiently.

- _"Is the almighty Almasy anxious about the results?" _asked Quistis jokingly.

- _"Instructor, I **know** I've passed…" _he said cockily.

- _"Have you now?" _asked Quistis raising an eyebrow.

- _"H-h-haven't I?" _he stuttered, startled at her serious expression.

            Quistis didn't respond, just turned around and pinned the results on the board. Seifer jerked his head right next to hers, scanning the paper before him.

            _Almasy, Seifer             GRADE: 99%              PASSED_

_            Anderson, Simone       GRADE: 62%              FAILED_

_            Andrews, Susan           GRADE: 87%              PASSED_

_            Cornell, Max               GRADE: 65%              FAILED_

_            Davis, __Frederick__         GRADE: 95%              PASSED_

_            Donahue, Terry           GRADE: 89%              PASSED_

_            Dupont, Françoise    GRADE: 100%              PASSED_

_            Fisher, Anna               GRADE: 97%              PASSED_

_            Fitzpatrick, Damien    GRADE: 84%              PASSED_

_            Ivanova, Svetlana       GRADE: 73%              PASSED_

_            Jodorowsky, Annette GRADE: 65%               FAILED_

_            Johnson, Gabriel         GRADE: 79%              PASSED_

_            Keenan, Sandra          GRADE: 99%              PASSED_

_Moreno__, Brian             GRADE: 53%              FAILED_

_            Rogers, Steven            GRADE: 67%              FAILED_

_            Schaffer, Angelina      GRADE: 71%              PASSED_

_            Scholes, Annya            GRADE: 68%              FAILED_

_            Silveria, Drake            GRADE: 57%              FAILED_

_            Sokal, Julianne            GRADE: 81%              PASSED_

_            Stuart, Jacob               GRADE: 70%              PASSED_

_            Vedder, Violet             GRADE: 54%              FAILED_

_            Wallace, Andy             GRADE: 88%              PASSED_

_            Welch, Andrew            GRADE: 91%              PASSED_

_            Yolander, Beth             GRADE: 76%              PASSED _

- _"YES!!!" _shouted Seifer, jumping up in the air _"I KNEW IT!!"_

            Quistis laughed as her student went on with his excitement spree _'Damn arrogance…'_

- _"Well done Seifer." _she said smiling broadly.

            The blond boy was lost within his delight and purely out of impulse, he wrapped his arms around his Instructor's waist and lifted her up in the air. Quistis's eyes shot wide open as she found herself in her student's arms. Quickly enough, he realized his position as well and settled her back down.

- _"Sorry about that…" _he said grinning, rubbing the back of his hair.

- _"It's OK Seifer…" _said Quistis blushing, straightening out her uniform.__

- _"I uhh… Better go, Fuj and Raij are waiting for me by the elevator…"_ he said awkwardly.__

- _"Yes, yes…" _said Quistis nodding.__

            Seifer sprinted down the corridor, but stopped when he reached the end of it. He turned around, gave Quistis a warm smile and disappeared towards the elevator. Quistis sighed and walked back inside the classroom, feeling her heart pound a bit faster _'Geez… Snap out of it…'****_

****

* * *

                                                                                                                                                                        _I thought that was really sweet…_

_                                                                        Oh, please! It was just a hug…_

_                                                                                    Yeah, I guess all hugs have heart-racing as a result then…_

_                                    Pause Moving on please…_

* * *

            Quistis was waiting right in front of the directory. Soon, a group of students approached her. She looked up from the binder she was holding in one hand and spoke to them.

- _"Everyone in your uniforms? Good…" _she said _"I'll be now splitting you up into Squads."_

            Everyone stood still, waiting for Quistis's announcement.

- _"Squad A will be: Seifer Almasy, Gabriel Johnson, Jacob Stuart and Andy Wallace. Squad Captain will be Seifer." _said Quistis. The four boys gathered together, while Seifer tried not to burst from pride _"Squad B will be: Terry Donahue, Françoise Dupont, Angelina Schaffer and Julianne Sokal. Squad Captain will be Françoise. Squad C: Anna Fisher, Damien Fitzpatrick, Svetlana Ivanova and Andrew Welch. Squad Captain is Anna. Finally, squad D: Susan Andrews, Frederick Davis, Sandra Keenan and Beth Yolander. Sandra, you're the Captain." _said Quistis.

The blonde Instructor lifted her glance up from her binder and saw the students all gathered up in four groups.

- _"Has everyone heard their name?" _she asked. All of them nodded _"Very well. Just in case you were wondering, the Squad and Captain assignments were made based on your grades on the written exam, so for any complaints, blame the Protocol." _said Quistis, making the students laugh lightly _"Those of you who have become Squad Captains, keep in mind that you will be the ones guiding your team, so be very careful."_

Right then, Cid, Xu and two Instructors, Instructor Aki and Robinson, came to the Directory.

- _"Everything in order Instructor Trepe?" _asked Cid.

- _"Yes sir." _said Quistis saluting him _"The Squads and their Captains have just been announced."_

- _"Excellent." _said Cid, turning over to face the four groups of cadets _"This is it everyone. They moment you've all been waiting for to test your skills." _he began _"When you go out there on the battlefield, remember to keep your mind clear. Self-composure is a key element to pass this test. Try your best and give your whole self into whatever you do. Good luck!"_ __

            All cadets saluted Headmaster Cid as he proceeded back to hisoffice on the 3rd floor. Xu came forward right after Cid left, and spoke to the cadets.

- _"Good morning everyone…" _said Xu _"As you already know, one SeeD member is designated for each team and acts as their supervisor. Instructors Aki, Robinson and Trepe and me will be the ones accompanying you in this exam. I will be the supervisor of Squad A, Instructor Aki will take care of Squad B, Instructor Robinson will supervise Squad C and lastly Instructor Trepe will be responsible for Squad D." _finished Xu. A hand flew up in the air just as she did and Xu noticed it came from a tall, blond cadet. She sighed, preparing herself for what she was about to hear and spoke _"Yes, Seifer?"_

- _"Does the Protocol mention anything about the possibility of switching Squad supervisors?" _he asked, smirking.__

- _"I suppose you're in Squad A?" _asked Xu raising an eyebrow.__

- _"Uh-huh…" _nodded Seifer.__

- _"Even if there was, no exception could be made for **your** case Mr. Almasy. Keeping an eye on you will be my pleasure…" _said Xu, grinning back at him, sending a fit of laughter all over the gathered students _"Everyone please proceed to the Parking Lot. Four SeeD vehicles will be waiting for you there."_

            The four groups dispersed, as a swarm of blue uniforms flowed towards the Parking Lot. Seifer stayed behind, talking with Raijin and Fujin.

- _"Be careful out there, ya know?" _said Raijin.

- _"CAUTION." _said Fujin.__

- _"Yeah, yeah…" _said Seifer shrugging _"Big deal…"_

- _"Mr. Almasy, didn't you hear what I just said?" _shouted Xu from across the Hall.__

- _"I'm coming, you sadistic bitch…" _Seifer mumbled.__

- _"What was that?" _asked Xu narrowing her eyes.__

- _"I said I've got a bad itch." _he replied smirking _"Be right over…" _he added, nodding Raijin and Fujin goodbye. __

- _"We don't have all day! Hurry up and get to the Parking Lot!" _yelled Xu.__

- _"**Excuse me**…" _he said loudly _"…but I just wanted to talk to my Instructor, do you mind?"_

- _"TWO minutes Almasy!" _said Xu, storming away.__

- _"Cunt…" _said Seifer under his breath. Quistis raised an eyebrow _"**Can't**,"_corrected Seifer looking at his young Instructor _"Leave without saying goodbye to my Instructor…" _Quistis shook her head in disbelief.__

- _"Good luck out there Seifer." _she said.__

- _"Instructor…" _he said smirking _"… I hate it when people wish me 'Good luck'. Save it for a bad student who needs it, eh?"_

- _"Alright then…" _said Quistis grinning _"Good luck Seifer."_

            Seifer raised his finger and opened his mouth to say something, but he just chuckled and moved along.

- _"I'll remember that…" _he said, walking down the corridor.

- _"Seifer?" _called Quistis, making him turn around _"I believe in you. Just stick to orders and you'll do fine." _she said.__

            Seifer raised an eyebrow. He smiled lightly, nodded and went on his way…

* * *

                                    _Why did you stop? I want to see how he did in the mission…_

_                                                            I can only show you **your** past Quisty, remember? I sent your conscience back in **your** body so all you'll be able to see are _

_                                                            the things **you** witnessed. _

_            Well, can't you send me into the past of Seifer?_

_                                                                                                            Alright, let me try that… I'll get as close as I can…_

* * *

Seifer was slouched on the seat of a SeeD vehicle. Next to him sat one of his teammates, while across him sat Xu and the other two of his Squad. He was feeling incredibly bored and was looking outside the window, counting the trees they passed by on the road to Balamb Town. Soon he lost count, as the guy sitting next to him wouldn't stop making weird noises. Seifer turned to look at him raising an eyebrow. The boy went on making a fidgeting clicking sound, much oblivious to Seifer's staring. Seifer sighed and shook his head in disbelief.

- _"Something wrong Seifer?" _asked Xu sarcastically **_'You mean EXCEPT for the fact that you exist on this planet?'_** Seifer thought.

- _"Grunt No…" _he said crossing his arms.

- _"Hey man, you're Seifer Almasy?" _asked the black-haired boy sitting across Seifer. Seifer nodded.

- _"Gabriel. Gabriel Johnson." _said the boy extending his arms. Seifer took it and exchanged a lukewarm handshake with him.

- _"Andy Wallace." _said the other boy, sitting next to Gabriel. He exchanged a handshake with Seifer as well.

- _"And **you** are…?" _asked Seifer, raising an eyebrow, looking at the last guy, sitting next to him.

- _"Huh?" _asked the red-haired boy, startled.

- _"Your **name**." _said Seifer.

- _"Oh… J-Jacob Stuart." _said the boy nervously.

            Seifer nodded smirking and leaned back in his seat **_'This is going to be a loooong day…' _**he thought, running a hand through his fair hair.

* * *

            The four students making up Squad A were all gathered in a SeeD watercraft, accompanied by the SeeD in charge of them, Xu. As soon as they entered, they all sat down, waiting to be briefed for the mission. After spending a few minutes on hold, a male SeeD arrived. Xu got up from her seat and saluted him.

- _"Xu…" _said the brown-haired man, returning the salute _"Nice to see you again."_

- _"Lieutenant Bierce." _said Xu nodding. She then turned around to the four cadets _"Lieutenant Andrew Bierce comes from Timber. He used to be part of the Timber army. He's here to explain your mission."_

- _"Thank you for the introduction Xu." _said Bierce _"This year's SeeD mission will take place in Timber." _he began _"As you all know, Timber has recently proceeded into conflict with the Galbadian army, regarding the region's independence. The cadets dispatched from your Garden for the SeeD exam, you, will be aiding the resistance factions stationed in Timber. We will disembark…" _he said, flicking on an electric board behind him, showing a map of the Timber region _"…right here." _Bierce pointed his index finger onto a beach located near Timber city.

- _"That's pretty far away…" _said Gabriel Johnson.

- _"A good observation." _replied Bierce _"Secrecy is of utmost importance in this mission, as we need to use the element of surprise on our opponents. Hence, we couldn't reach Timber through a train or through air. The beach is the closest we can get without being noticed. From there, Timber is about a fifteen-minute-walk."_

- _"Don't you think the Galbadians will **notice** a swarm of blue uniforms comin' right at them?" _asked Seifer sarcastically.

- _"Of course I do…" _said Bierce smiling _"Actually we're counting on that…"_ all four cadets eyed him puzzled _"You see, we will first act as a distraction for the Galbadian forces, giving the SeeD forces arriving secretly through the forests, time to infiltrate Timber. This first wave should probably weaken the Galbadian units a fair amount. When all of them will have concentrated their attacks in the main battlefield, we will act as a second wave of attack, entering the city."_

- _"So mainly, we'll play the role of the 'bait' in this mission, right?" _asked Seifer raising an eyebrow, making Xu shoot him a poisonous glare.

- _"At first, yes. But right after the 'surprise' we've held in stock for the Galbadians, the **real** battle will begin."_ replied Bierce, still smiling _"Any questions?"_

- _"How will we approach the city?" _asked Andy Wallace.

- _"The SeeDs in charge of every Squad will take care of that. Just follow them until you reach the city." _answered Bierce _"Anything else?" _he asked. No-one spoke _"Alright then… We should be arriving in Timber in about an hour, so don't rush. You've still got lots of time ahead. Good luck to you all." _he added and left the room.

* * *

            The seaborne SeeD vehicles slashed the waves on the sea surface, creating a quartet of parallel straight lines of pearly white foam as they approached the shores of Alcauld beach. The four vessels soon made hard contact with the sand and four large metal doors opened to reveal the sixteen cadets and their SeeD supervisors. Four Squads of blue uniforms emerged onto the beach preparing for the upcoming mission. Gunblades swished around the air, whips cracked, gun cocks clicked, daggers flipped on well-trained hands, all tuning in the rhythm of a battle soon to follow.

            Xu walked in front of her male-infested Squad, skillfully sliding her daggers back inside their cases.

- _"Let's go." _she said plainly, motioning the four boys to follow her.

            Seifer and his three teammates walked behind the brunette SeeD across Alcauld beach. Four squads of blue-colored uniforms strode up the sand towards the city of Timber. Leading them was the man Seifer recognized as Lt. Andrew Bierce. Once they'd reached the solid terrain on the path leading them to the city, Bierce stopped and spoke.

- _"Can I have everyone's attention?" _he said. All cadets and SeeDs turned to look at him _"We're approaching the city in a bit, so make sure everyone is prepared for the battle. Equip your GFs, junction your magic spells and be certain to keep yourselves in top condition when we get there. Any questions?" _None of them reacted _"Alright, everyone follow your squad supervisors at all times and keep a clear head once in battle. Good luck!"_

            The crowd before Bierce all saluted him and went on following the path to the city. Seifer was beginning to feel the first traces of anxiety. He felt more than confident about himself, but either way this would be his first real battle. He eventually managed to persuade himself that the uneasy feeling in his stomach was pure anticipation for the fight and nothing more…

            As he walked behind Xu through the scarce flora of the deserted path, he began getting ready. He junctioned his GF, Ifrit. He'd beaten the fire monster of the Fire Cavern only a few days ago with his Instructor, Quistis. As a reward, the GF had now become his ally in any future battle. Seifer liked Ifrit's demeanor. It reminder him of his own; rash, passionate and untamed, almost fire-like. He was always fond of the Fire element anyway. It suited him perfectly. And now that he thought of it, had he bothered to stock any offensive spells other than Fire? Had he bothered to stock any other spells **at all**? He laughed; luckily, he** had** stocked more spells. It was a lesson heard learned after the innumerable times Quistis had to scold him for such a tactic.

            Through the corner of his eye, he searched for his Instructor. He saw her only a few feet away to his right, leading her Squad towards Timber. As always, she was dead serious **_'Tight-assed…' _**he thought, and distant. A real 'Ice Queen', living up to that certain nickname, awarded to her by the entire student population of Garden during her time there. Ironically enough, the GF she always chose to junction was Shiva, the spirit of Ice. And now that Seifer pondered on that certain matter, she had shown particular 'impartiality' towards the Ice element herself in the past. He scoffed **_'Maybe we're not as different as you always seem to think we are Trepe…'_**

            He didn't know why, but he always had that feeling of strange familiarity towards her. Something about her bossy behavior, her mother-like interest to everyone, reminded him of a thing he couldn't quite put his finger upon. He would have sworn that even her face seemed familiar, like a distant memory from a dream. Then again, Quistis Trepe wasn't the type of person he usually chose to befriend. But come to think of it, who was? The only people he came close to calling 'friends' were Fujin and Raijin. Nevertheless, he couldn't remember a time were he felt that way around his posse. And the strangest thing of them all, was that he'd found himself sensing that 'aura' around two more people in Garden. Two kids he liked to mess around a lot with…

            His pointless day-dreaming didn't go farther though, as the voice of Xu snapped him back to reality.

- _"Where the hell do you think you're going, Almasy?! We're over **this **way!" _she yelled.

            Seifer stopped walking for a moment and realized that lost within his thoughts he'd taken the wrong path to the city. Slapping himself mentally, he turned around and walked back to his Squad, muttering something pretty nasty about his much disliked SeeD supervisor…     ****

****

* * *

            What Andrew Bierce had described as a 'fifteen-minute-walk', turned out to be more of a 'half-an-hour-straining-striding'. All cadets had begun to feel bored and a bit tired, as all they kept hearing for the past ten minutes was that they're 'getting there'. A very pissed off Seifer walked up to Xu, thinking he'd had enough.

- _"Hey, Miss **supervisor**…" _he said in a mocking tone.

            Xu turned around to face him, raising an eyebrow at his remark.

- _"Any chance of reaching the damned city in **less** than a year?" _Seifer asked.

- _"As we've told you before…" _Xu began, feeling annoyed.

- _"Yeah, yeah… 'We're getting there'." _said Seifer, mimicking Bierce's voice _"We've been hearing that for the past fifteen minutes!"_

- _"Yes Miss Chang…" _said a tired-looking Andy Wallace _"…we're exhausted already!"_

- _"Sigh I know you're all incredibly bored, but this is part of our plan. We have to walk our way to the city. And honestly, we **are** drawing close, see?" _replied Xu, pointing at the TV station tower of Timber, now visible from the path they were walking upon.

            The four boys all sighed and went on following her. They kept on walking and eventually, after about five minutes they were able to reach the city outskirts. The sound of bombs exploding, gunfire being shot as well as panicked calls for help could be heard from the distance. The SeeD supervisors once again reminded the cadets to be fully equipped and ready against the enemy, as they drew near the battlefield.

            Seifer cracked his knuckles, tilted his head from side to side trying to relax and pulled out his weapon, the impressive Hyperion gunblade. Next to him, his teammates drew out their weapons too. Gabriel Johnson was carrying a pair of nunchaks, Andy Wallace was using a shotgun and Jacob Stuart's weapon was a pole. The quartet, along with their fellow cadets of the SeeD exam got prepared, as the first wave of the attack from the Galbadian party made its appearance on the city Gates…

* * *

**A/N: **OK, that's it for today… How do you like it so far?

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

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_Seifer's SeeD exam in full detail._

_And introducing another character (not an original one of mine). I'll give ya a hint: It's a 'she'…_

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	6. Chapter 5: The SeeD exam Part II

**A/N:** 'Ello guys! *Sigh* I'm still pretty cornered with exams… I've just finished my practice exams (working on the PC) today and as from Monday, I start my written ones… And I'm happy to say that I only failed one of them (which I knew I would…), while I did quite well on the others! Anywayz, you're not here to read how my week went, but I just wanted to tell you that the next update will probably be in a week from now… 

For this chapter, I'd like to give a GREAT 'thank you' to my beta, Chris, AKA Squeakychris, with only a **K**. He knows what I mean… :-p Chris gave me a wonderful idea after reading the draft, which later on evolved into the very last scene of the chapter, giving it an entirely different 'air'. I've got him to thank for all the inspiration in that scene. *Gives Chris a hugzie* OK, I'll let him go now…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and his Squad arrive in the outskirts of Timber, to begin with their mission on the SeeD field exam…_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                          Chapter 5: The SeeD exam – Part II **

* * *

* * *

            A man dressed in blue uniform and a visor walked along some troops of the Galbadian forces, gathered around in the City Square of Timber. He passed by all the soldiers gathered there, approaching two officials discussing in front. He saluted one of the two, thus getting his attention. The official nodded at the soldier who spoke:

- _"Peter Auf der Maur, Rank 17, sir." _said the man.

- _"At ease soldier." _said the official.

            Auf der Maur brought down his hand, which was up to now raised next to his head in a military salute. He stood less uptight, crossing his hands behind his back.

- _"__Lieutenant __Biggs__ sir, I have some urgent news." _he said.

- _"What is it?" _asked the Lieutenant.

- _"We've just spotted what looks like four troops of SeeDs coming from Alcaud beach, sir." _replied Auf der Maur. 

- _"SeeDs?" _asked Biggs, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Yes __Lieutenant __Biggs__ sir. Judging by their uniforms they are from __Balamb__Garden__, but most of them seem to be still cadets. We've marked down about four or five SeeDs." _said Auf der Maur.

- _"Cadets, here?" _said Biggs.

            Auf der Maur nodded. Biggs fell deep in thought for a few seconds, then scoffed and chuckled.

- _"The idiots from __Balamb__Garden__ thought that their cadets would be a match to our fully trained soldiers? Ha!" _he scoffed again, grinning.

- _"My guess is that they're here for their field exam, sir." _said Auf der Maur _"It's the time of the year in which they take the field exam for the Spring Period."_ he added. Biggs gave him a weird look, remained silent for a bit, then spoke again.

- _"Right, right… Well you know what to do soldier," _said Biggs _"Send a few troops down there and get rid of them. We have much more important issues to think about than a measly group of SeeD cadets…"_

- _"If I may speak sir," _spoke the second official for the first time _"This could be a trap."_

- _"A trap? What are you on about Wedge?" _asked Biggs sarcastically.

- _"They might be sending these troops for distraction. I remember hearing something about former __Lt. __Bierce__ associating with __Balamb__Garden__ from our intelligence agents. This could be it. I've heard that __Lt. __Bierce__ is known to-" _began Wedge, but was interrupted by Biggs.

- _"That's pure nonsense Wedge." _said Biggs, a superior look on his face _"Soldier," _he added, turning his gaze back to Auf der Maur _"Guide the troops gathered here in the Square to the beach and teach those meddlesome fools a good lesson."_

- _"**All** the troops gathered here?!" _protested Wedge _"But Lieutenant-"_

- _"That's enough Wedge!" _said Biggs sternly _"As you were ordered soldier." _he repeated to Auf der Maur.

- _"Yes sir." _said Auf der Maur.

            He saluted Biggs once again and went back to gather around all the troops for attack.  

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The four Balamb Garden Squads stopped in their tracks only a few dozen feet away from the Gates of Timber. The first Galbadian troops could be seen in short distance, coming towards them. The SeeDs supervising each Squad stepped in front, giving the cadets last-minute advice. 

- _"Alright everyone, this is it." _Xu said to the cadets of Squad A _"Fight them off for as long as you can, until we get the signal from the team infiltrating the city from the North. Remember, the order to withdraw takes priority. Now go!" _

            The four young men nodded, saluted Xu and went on their way. Seifer led his Squad towards the Gates of Timber, feeling his adrenaline begin to pump up. This was it; his big chance to prove himself to everyone. He **had** to succeed. He sprinted down the path to the city, beckoning his three teammates to follow him. On his way there, he spotted Quistis ordering her Squad to go forth. He turned around momentarily, gave her salute accompanied by his notorious smirk and disappeared from view, wielding his gunblade in one hand. Quistis smiled, watching him gradually become nothing but a blur in the distance. 

- _"Good luck Seifer…" _she said.__

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer came to a halt, facing the first Galbadian soldiers in the way of their Squad. His jade eyes narrowed, the hint of a playful 'fire' dancing around in his eyes. He held his Hyperion firmly, then turned around to his teammates, nodding at them meaningfully, a superior expression on his face. He followed suit in taking a deep breath and lunging forward to his opponents. There were about five of them, all charging Seifer the moment he moved forward. His teammates joined in, all distracting one soldier each, leaving Seifer to deal with two of them. 

            The soldiers were both carrying gunblades, just like him. With one swift move, Seifer swung his Hyperion, pushing them both away momentarily. The Galbadians attacked again and three swords clattered in mid-movement. The two men threw their bodies forward and Seifer stepped back, slowly being lowered to his knees. They were two, he was one; it didn't take a genius to figure out who was stronger… Stronger? **Them**? Stronger than **him**? No, that was too much of a bruise in the blond man's already oversized pride. Taking a deep breath, he swung his left leg across one man's feet, making him trip and lose his balance. Having gotten rid one of them for the moment, he shoved his body upwards, sending the other one a few steps back. He clenched his fist and flung it on the soldier's face, almost cracking his jaw. The other one on the ground, made a move to get up, but a hard kick from Seifer on the chest threw him back down.

            Looking around, Seifer saw that his Squad had fought off their first 'batch' of enemies; all of them were knocked out on the ground. The rest of the Squad had already moved on, or were sprinting past them that instant, indicating that the area was clear. Seifer motioned his team to follow him and broke into a run, deeper into the city grounds…    

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Lieutenant Biggs was standing on the bridge above the train station, over viewing the city. He looked down to the city Gates visible from there, where the battle was heating up and was becoming even more intense than the one inside Timber grounds. At first, it seemed that the Garden's cadets were no match against the Galbadian soldiers, but it turned out that they were now on equal terms. The sound of footsteps woke Biggs out of his trance and he turned to his right, finding Wedge standing there, at attention.

- _"__Lieutenant __Biggs__ sir, I came to inform you about the progress of the battle at the Gates." _said Biggs.

- _"How are we holding up Wedge?" _asked Biggs.

- _"Not so good, sir. The-"_

- _"Send more troops." _interrupted Biggs.

- _"But sir, we alread-" _began Wedge.  

- _"Who's the Lieutenant here Biggs?" _

- _"*Sigh* **You** are, sir."_

- _"That's right. And that means that my intuition works better than yours." _said Biggs matter-of-factly _"After all, I **did** drive the Centranian forces away from Deling City with a mere five-minute strategy six years ago…"_

- _"But sir," _spoke Wedge in a voice barely audible _"The Centranian forces retreat-"_

- _"MORE TROOPS WEDGE!" _yelled Biggs.

- _"*Sigh* Yes sir…"_

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis swung her whip across a soldier's neck, making him gag and fall down on his knees. With one graceful move she disentangled the whip from his throat and gave him a hard kick on the head, knocking him out. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her fair locks. A droplet of sweat trickled from her forehead as she did so. She looked around and then slid her hand to the small leather case on the belt of her uniform, retrieving a black transmitter. She turned it on and spoke.

- _"Grayson?" _she said _"Grayson, do you copy?"_

- _"Loud and clear Quistis. What's your status?" _asked Cedric Grayson, one of the SeeDs on the team infiltrating Timber through the forests.__

- _"We're holding up for now, but I don't think we'll be able to stand for long. They keep on sending reinforcements. Where are you?" _Quistis asked.__

- _"We're very close. We should be in the city in less than fifteen minutes. Think you can hold them off for this long?" _asked Grayson.__

- _"Yes, we'll be fine. Just hurry." _said Quistis worriedly.__

- _"Alright. Wait for our signal."_ said Grayson, terminating the connection.__

            Quistis put the transmitter back in her case and coiled her whip in one hand, running towards Xu who seemed like she could use some help.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was pinned down to the ground by a Galbadian soldier. The man held his gunblade mere inches away from Seifer's throat and was getting dangerously closer. Seifer had gripped his arm and was trying to push him away. His Hyperion was laying only a couple of feet away from him on the ground. Seifer released one hand and tried to get to his gunblade, but his palm couldn't reach long enough. Meanwhile, the Galbadian was gaining on him. Both men were breathing heavily and were drenched in sweat. 

            Thinking quickly, Seifer slid his leg up to the soldier's chest and pressed his knee against it, throwing him backwards. Seizing the chance, he rolled on the ground, grabbed his Hyperion and aided himself up with his balled fist. He twirled around, facing the soldier who was now on his feet, and gave him a hard elbowing on the nose, sending him to the ground. He sighed and threw his head backwards, flinging one of his short bangs that always fell on his face back in place. He smirked and turned around to his Squad, when he saw Andy Wallace's face adopt a sort of panicked expression.

- _"Seifer, duck!" _he yelled and pulled out his shotgun.

            Seifer needn't be told twice; he ducked and heard the banging sound of the bullet coming out of Andy's weapon. He shut his eyes momentarily and when he opened them again, he saw Andy raking a hand through his hair, sighing in relief. Smoke was coming out of the barrels of his shotgun, as it hung on his side, firmly held by his right hand. Seifer slowly got up and turned around. He found the man he had been battling with earlier, lying on the ground, the large round wound of a bullet apparent right between his eyes. Seifer's eyes widened and he turned around to face his team.

- _"Nice shot…" _he said to Andy breathlessly.

            Andy Wallace grinned and rested his weapon on his shoulder, shrugging modestly.

- _"Thanks… for that…" _said Seifer, rubbing the back of his head.

- _"Don't mention it." _said Andy.

            The members of Squad A looked around, trying to spot any more potential threats. Right then, they made out the figure of Xu, running towards them from the beach.

- _"We got our signal!" _she yelled _"Proceed as planned!" _she added and sprinted back to the beach to inform the rest.

            Seifer swung his Hyperion around in one hand in a showy manner and held it tightly in one hand.

- _"You heard the bit-… err… woman! Let's go!"_ he said, pointing at the path leading to the Square of the city with his gunblade.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Wedge was walking –or rather, running- towards the bridge above the train station. He was biting his lips nervously and once he reached his destination, he stopped in his tracks. Lieutenant Biggs was standing there, as expected. Wedge swallowed hard and approached his superior. 

- _"*Ahem* Lieutenant Biggs, sir…" _he said hesitantly _"I'm afraid I've got s-"_

- _"I TOLD you it was a set-up Wedge!" _yelled Biggs angrily _"But noooo, you didn't listen to me and **now** look where this led us!"_

- _"But sir, I never-" _protested Wedge.

- _"Silence!" _shouted Biggs _"Now order out troops to move back to the square of the city!"_

- _"Yes sir…" _mumbled Wedge, trying to leave.

- _"And we'll talk about your punishment **later**!" _yelled Biggs behind him.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            A young girl clad in a long blue duster and a pair of black shorts, ran towards a small green train wagon. Her raven hair flew in the wind as she sprinted up the stairs. She opened the door and rushed inside, an excited expression on her face. As soon as she walked inside, many pairs of male eyes rested upon her quizzically. She panted, the thrilled look never leaving her cute features.

- _"We've got back-up! SeeDs are here!" _she squealed in delight.

            An uproar of joyful shouts followed her words and all the young men inside the wagon ran to their quarters to pick up their weapons. All of them ran outside, eagerly merging with the heated battle in the city square.   

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was sparring with two gunblade-wielding soldiers. As he checked from the corner of his eye, many more were approaching. Soon they'd be cornered; they had to figure something out… No sooner had he made that thought, than about a dozen of what looked like civilians came to their aid. All of them were young men, about his age, except for the person which appeared to be leading them. A girl. A girl dressed in blue, with raven locks falling on her shoulders, brandishing a weapon Seifer recognized as a Pinwheel. 

- _"Go '__Forest__ Owls'!" _she yelled, pointing her weapon towards the square.

            All three of Seifer and the two opponents he had been fighting with, stopped momentarily and stared dumbfound at the young kids who seemed to be beyond plain inexperienced, yet they rushed fearlessly into the battlefield. 

- _"What the-?" _said the two Galbadians in unison, puzzled.

            Seifer looked at them out of the corner of his eye and seized the opportunity given to him. He grabbed both their heads and banged them hard against each other, knocking them both out. Frustrated out of his mind that amateurs were meddling with **his** exam, he held his gunblade tightly, marching towards the girl who was fighting a Galbadian. He approached them nonchalantly, never loosing his cool. Once there, he clenched his left fist and hammered roughly onto the soldier's face, sending him lying onto the ground.

- _"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" _he spat out to the girl angrily, resting his fist on his hip.

            The girl looked from the fallen Galbadian to the young blond before her, bewildered from the scene that had just occurred in fast forward before her.

- _"Excuse me?"_ she said puzzled.

- _"I said: What the hell do you think you're doing?!" _repeated Seifer _"Civilians are supposed to stay out of the conflict!" _he added.

- _"We're not civilians! We're a rebel group, the '__Forest__ Owls'." _replied the girl matter-of-factly.

- _"I couldn't give less of a flying fuck."_ said Seifer smirking _"Now get the hell outta here and leave this to professionals!"_

            The raven-haired girl creased her forehead and was left with her mouth gaping open **_'Who does he think he is?! And to think I found him cute at first…'_** she thought.

- _"Yo lady," _said Seifer, snapping his fingers in front of her face; she seemed to have zoned out for a moment there _"Snap out of it! Did you hear what I just said?"_ he asked. The girl's chocolate brown eyes suddenly widened in horror.__

- _"Behind y-!" _she began, motioning to the soldier creeping up behind Seifer. 

            Without even turning around to look, Seifer elbowed the man at his back, getting him square on the nose. The blue-clad girl arched her eyebrows and was left staring at the soldier now lying unconscious with his back on the ground.

- _"HEY!" _yelled Seifer, making her jolt up startled _"You didn't answer my question!"_

- _"Yeah I heard you!" _replied the girl eventually, feeling incredibly indignant with Seifer's behavior _"And we're **not** leaving! We're here to fight!"_

- _"*Scoff* You've gotta be shitting me…" _said Seifer cockily.

- _"Don't take that tone with me!" _retorted the girl, resting her palms on her hips _"Just who do you think you are?!"_

- _"I'm a **SeeD cadet** missy and I'm here to do my job." _Seifer said, thrusting a finger onto his chest _"I'm not the one out of place!"_

- _"Well neither are **we**! We have every right to fight and by Hyne, we **will**!" _spat the girl and turned her heel.

            Seifer was left staring at the girl, making her way to aid a friend of hers who was fighting two soldiers at the same time **_'Fiery little thing…' _**he thought, rubbing his chin **_'And annoying… Cute like hell, but annoying…'_** He shook himself mentally and recalled his duty there, sprinting back to his Squad.

- _"Looks like we've got company." _he said once having approached them _"Just try and keep them out of our way…"_

- _"Who were you talking to?" _asked Gabriel Johnson.

- _"I dunno," _said Seifer shrugging _"Some girl… I didn't catch her name. But she's one of them inept fools. Anyway, let's get back to business!" _ **** 

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            _OK, OK… Hold it… I thought Seifer was with **me** in this world…_

_                                                            Of course he is. Why are you asking?_

_                        Well… I presumed that he hadn't met Rinoa… Did they date after that?_

_                                                                        *Sigh* I could just as easily **narrate** what happened Quisty. You were the one who insisted in                                                                                seeing all this._

_                        I wanted to see Seifer's SeeD exam, not how he met Rinoa!_

_                                                                                                Well, this **is** his SeeD exam. And it just happened that they met there._

_                                                OK, so **then** what?_

_                                                                                                            Do you want to see this, or not?_

_            Fine, go right ahead…_

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            A Galbadian soldier was speedily bringing his gunblade down, towards Xu's chest. Xu brought her trident daggers forward and entangled the blade of the sword in between them. She gave him a kick in the groin, making him bend over, doubled up in pain. With the back of her fist, she punched him hard on the face, throwing him on the ground. She glanced around her and saw Quistis approaching her.

- _"How does it look?" _she asked her blonde friend.

- _"Not that good." _replied Quistis, shaking her head _"We're handling them just fine, but I heard they're bringing more reinforcements. I contacted __Cid__ and he said we should withdraw."_

- _"Alright. We need to inform the Squads. Where is yours?" _asked Xu.

- _"They're close by. I've already told them and they're heading back to the vessels on the beach." _replied the blonde.

- _"What about the others?" _asked the brunette.

- _"Aki has found hers and __Robinson__ is on his way to inform his. Where's your Squad?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Back at the Square, I'll go get them." _replied Xu, trying to leave.

- _"No wait. We need you back at the beach to keep the area clear. I'll send someone from my Squad." _said the Instructor and run off.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Andy Wallace and Gabriel Johnson were fighting side by side, their backs touching one another, so as to avoid any attacks from behind. Four soldiers had rounded them and seemed to be gaining on them. Jacob Stuart could be seen in the distance, fighting off a single soldier. Seifer was sparing with another Galbadian and after beating him, was on his way to help Andy and Gabriel. Just then, a brunette clad in a SeeD cadet uniform ran towards them.  

- _"__Sandra__?" _said Gabriel puzzled.

            He fought off the soldier in front of him and ran towards her, letting Seifer and Andy deal with the remaining two.

- _"Why are you here? Why aren't you with your Squad?" _he asked her, once having gotten close to her.

- _"They've sent me to tell you we must evacuate the Square. More troops are coming and __Cid__ ordered withdrawal." _replied Sandra.

- _"OK, wait right here, I'll go get the others." _said Gabriel, running back to his teammates.

            Seifer and Andy had managed to pry off their opponents and were waiting for Gabriel.

- _"We've been ordered to withdraw." _said Gabriel once approaching them _"Let's go!"_

- _"You go with Sandra." _said Andy _"I'll go get __Jacob__ with Seifer and we'll follow suit."_

- _"Alright, hurry." _said Gabriel, running back to Sandra.__

            The two of them soon disappeared from sight down the path leading back to the City Gates, and from there to the beach. Seifer and Andy ran back to Jacob, helping him relieve himself from his opponent. Right when they were about to leave, Seifer heard a panicked yell.

- _"Princess!" _shouted a brown-haired boy with a spiky do, dressed in a pair of short pants.

            The girl Seifer had spoken to before, had been cornered by not one, but two soldiers. The young boy who had shouted ran to her aid, but was knocked out cold by another soldier, now advancing on the girl as well. Seifer let out a grunt and turned back to Jacob and Andy.

- _"Go. I'll be right behind you." _he said and sprinted towards the girl.

- _"Seifer!" _yelled Andy, but the tall blond didn't turn back.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The raven-haired girl had fallen backwards and was resting her back on a wall, squirming around the corner she'd been stuck to. She had no weapon anymore and was beyond any help. She swallowed hard as looked up at the three soldiers, eyeing her, smirking. One of them put down his weapon and walked smugly towards her, rubbing his chin. The girl's eyes widened in terror and she prepared herself mentally for the worst.

- _"I wouldn't do that if I were you."_

            All three soldiers turned around to see who had spoken. The girl tilted her head to the side, trying to watch as well. She was more than surprised to see the guy she had spoken to before, standing before them, his gunblade extended towards them. One of the soldiers scoffed.

- _"And what exactly do you think you'll be doing with that puny little gunblade of yours boy?" _he asked sarcastically _"We're three and you're one."_

- _"More fun for me then…" _said Seifer smirking.

            Without any further ado, the tall blond laid a hard high kick on the middle soldier's head. The other two retaliated fast, lunging forward with their gunblades. Seifer swung his Hyperion across them, jerking away both blades. The soldier he had kicked before ran right behind him and grabbed his arms. One of the two others clenched his fist and punched Seifer right on the face. Down on the ground, the raven-haired girl winced and gasped. The other soldier brought his knee forcefully on Seifer's stomach, making the latter cough and the girl bite her bottom lip in anxiety. The two soldiers stood before Seifer, leering down on him, cracking their knuckles, getting ready for another attack. Seifer was bent over, still being held tightly by the third counterpart of his opponents. He narrowed his eyes as the familiar 'dangerous' glint appeared on them **_'Wanna play hard? We'll see who'll be the one sneering in the end then…'_**

            The young blond suddenly stood back up, throwing his body upwards. He raised his legs and landed two hard kicks on the soldiers' chests, making them fall back. Once back on his feet, he ducked and pushed his body forwards this time, sending the man behind him flying into mid-air, falling hard onto his colleagues on the ground. The man quickly got back up on his feet, giving Seifer enough time to prepare himself though. As the soldier lunged forward, Seifer grabbed the dull edge of his Hyperion with one hand and the handle with the other, abruptly bringing it upwards to make hard contact with the man's chin and nose. He grasped the Hyperion handle with his right hand, bringing it down, while laying a hard punch on the Galbadian's face with his left fist. The latter fell hard on the floor, knocked out. One down, two more to go and the clock was ticking mercilessly…

              Out of the two soldiers remaining on their feet, one of them hastily jumped on top of Seifer, pinning him down on the ground. Seifer's weapon left his grasp once more, falling down away from his reach in a clatter.  The Galbadian now sprawled on Seifer's chest, armless as he was, made a move to grab Hyperion. Seifer retaliated quickly, by grabbing his wrists, fighting for the weapon himself. Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek made him jolt up startled. Before him, he saw the other soldier, going for the girl, seizing her menacingly with his gunblade. He brought it down to her speedily, but she managed to dodge it. She was now back on her feet and was engaged in a vicious 'cat and mouse' game, desperately trying to prevent herself from getting slaughtered by a gunblade. 

            The Galbadian atop Seifer, seized the opportunity of the latter's distraction and reached for the gunblade again. Seifer's usually quick reflexes got awakened the last minute this time. He brought his knee up rapidly, squashing the man's groin. The soldier was immobilized at once, now wincing in pain. The blond cadet raised his torso abruptly, crushing the man's nose with his forehead. It was one of the moves a SeeD cadet learned on the very first lessons, because it could easily render an enemy defenseless momentarily, as it made them lose balance. Seifer was now more than glad that he'd paid attention to that certain lesson… It was now his own turn to seize the opportunity of his enemy's helpless state and he reached for his Hyperion. The Galbadian, who had been holding his bleeding nose with both palms so far, saw Seifer's left hand fingers encase the handle of the gunblade. He hastily dove down to stop him, but Seifer proved to be faster. He brought the cold steel blade before his chest in defense and then, _it_ happened…

            Emerald green eyes went wide in terror. A small droplet of warm, red liquid made contact with the skin on his face, burning it like acid. Then another one… And another one… The world seemed to have gone mute around Seifer and the sound of the crimson fluid beads made a deafening –to his ears- sound as they fell on his cheekbones. The young blond stood frozen in spot. He was clutching the grip of his gunblade so tightly, that his knuckles had turned a pale shade, almost white. The blade of Hyperion stood out in an almost ninety degree angle from his chest. And plunged in between the handle and the tip, lay the soldier's body. Hyperion had ripped right through his stomach, staining the clothed area around the fatal wound in a dark scarlet shade. Blood dripped from the Galbadian's broken nose and the corner of his mouth. A horror-stricken expression was plastered on his face; eyes saucer-like, mouth gaping open. He was **dead**. 

            Seifer's momentarily blank page of a mind was instantly bombarded with a salvo of words; slaughter, massacre, assassination, killing, carnage, bloodbath, **murder**… He had **murdered **another person… In all his years of training as a mercenary, he'd fully realized he'd have to commit more than one 'extermination' of another human being and he thought he'd gotten in terms with it. It even sounded kind of exhilarating in some sort of twisted way. But then again, his mind was frequently known of working in twisted manners… Either way, nothing could have prepared him for the moment that had now unexpectedly come. His very first victim had just been slain 

            **_'Pull it together Almasy…' _**his mind screamed at him **_'You're a damned mercenary. Stop acting like a fucking pussy and get up!'_**

****

****

            Another shriek from the girl, ultimately captured by the last remaining standing soldier, brought him out of his dreadful trance. He'd grabbed her from the back of her hair and was holding his gunblade dangerously close to her throat. 

            **_'I'm not a coward… I'm a warrior.' _**he bellowed at himself **_'Time to prove it then…' _**his conscience spat back.  

            Disorientated from contrasting emotions, he pushed the slowly stiffening carcass off his gunblade, emitting a slithery, gut-perturbing sound as he did so, and got up on his feet. Not fully aware of what he was about to do, he followed his instincts, as well as the surge of power now emerging from his interior, pent up from all the suppressed feelings inside him. As he saw the girl squirm in agony in the soldier's hands, more anger and hurt welled up inside him. He didn't know why; maybe he was just looking for an excuse to vent out his pent up apprehension. And he had just found it…

            Decisively, he raised his left arm in the air, palm spreading out. His mind pulled aside any disturbing thoughts for just an instant, as he concentrated hard. His jade eyes glimmered and even seemed to slightly glow for an instant. 

- _"Fire Cross…" _he said gruffly, as a Fire spell came surging out of his outstretched hand.

            The scorching mass of flames burned the skin of the Galbadian's face, making him release the girl. A loud howl and a low hiss were heard as both the man and the girl were affected by the spell; however, the girl was only faintly injured. She grasped her stinging right arm with her good one and crawled up in the corner, staying out of the way. The soldier took of his now burning visor, throwing it on the ground. Even with the protection of the latter, his skin had still burned to the core; this was certainly no ordinary Fire spell. 

            Seifer held his Hyperion in his right hand, swinging it severely, with ease as such the soldier had never seen before. He finally brought it to a halt, holding it in a straight line with his unbent arm, like a genuine extension of it. 

- _"…No Mercy." _the tall blond mouthed, narrowing his eyes.

            Suddenly, the middle part of Hyperion's blade began to glow. Slowly, the glowing gained volume, gradually evolving into an emerald green sphere of energy. The blond's jade eyes glowed in an unearthly manner, coming close to matching the radiance of the sphere, seemingly attached to the weapon. He then broke into a run, dashing towards the already badly wounded soldier, his Hyperion giving the impression of leaving a jade trail of lightning behind. When he came close to his opponent, the young blond brought the cutting edge of the blade upwards, tearing the flesh of the man's abdomen and chest in a mere slash. A faint, choking sound was all that escaped the Galbadian's lips and then no sound was heard at all, as Hyperion found its way downwards again, across the ill-fated soldier's face. The latter fell down on his knees, then lifeless down on the ground, doomed to lie in a pool of his own blood, until found but his comrades. 

            Not hesitating for a second, Seifer made a run for the girl, who was staring at him in awe. He was quite certain that if he spent the tiniest bit of time to contemplate on what had just happened, he would go crazy. He grabbed the girl's wrist, pulled her up and broke into a run, away from the Square.

- _"Wait! My team!" _she said breathlessly while running _"I can't leave them here!"_  

- _"You all have to go. Reinforcements are coming and we were ordered to withdraw." _he told her, then turned his head backwards _"Oy you lot! Follow your Princess!" _he yelled at the girl's team behind.

            The couple made their way hastily to the city Gates, closely followed by the members of the rebel group. The girl noticed that the blond was still clutching her wrist tightly as they ran. She took a moment to look at him. His short fair spikes of hair were now soaring backwards as he ran, however a couple of bangs refused to follow suit of the others. His jade eyes were sparkling, as his adrenaline had hit red. His strict facial features gave him a raw sort of charm, coming in disparity with his boyish hair. That guy was obviously full of contrasts; rude beyond imagination, yet noble enough to help her in a moment of trouble. Manly, yet boyish.

            But what stayed with her the most, had been the image of his slaying a man before her very eyes. And as they passed by the other two fallen counterparts of the group of her attackers before, she couldn't help but notice yet another one of them motionless and soaked in crimson blood. She hated violence herself, but for some reason, she had not been completely appalled by the murder she had just witnessed. Perhaps because it had been committed in purpose of saving her. Or perhaps because she hadn't committed it herself…  

- _"Sorry for burning you before,"_ he said suddenly, never breaking eye contact with the path ahead _"I had no other choice."_

- _"I-I-It's alright… I understand…" _stammered the girl. 

            They came to a halt once on the Gates, not phrasing another single word on the way. The girl slapped a palm on her chest, panting, trying to catch her breath. The rest of her team arrived second later, all of them exhausted. Seifer was breathing kind of heavily as well. He ran a hand through his blond hair and slipped his Hyperion back in its case, suspending from his uniform belt. He turned around and faced the girl, smirking –or was it smiling?- weakly at her. He performed an overly-dramatic bow and looked at her brown eyes.

- _"This is where I have to abandon my services to you, Princess. I have to run. Stay out of trouble." _he said somewhat sternly, breaking into a run down the path, towards the beach.

- _"Wait!" _yelled the girl, but he had already gone.

            She was left staring at him, as his tall, brawny silhouette became more and more blurry in the distance, until it wasn't visible anymore. 

- _"I didn't get to thank you…" _she mumbled _"I didn't even get your name…"_

* * *

**A/N: ***Sigh* Poor Seify… First time killing anyone… He might seem a bit OOC for reacting that way, but I really do think that no person can take his/her first killing easily…

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Has Seifer passed his exam?_

_Will he see that girl he met in Timber again?_


	7. Chapter 6: The SeeD inauguration

**A/N:** Ha! Thought you'd get away from me so easily? No siree! I am back! Sorry it took a bit tho'… My math exams were a priority right now and I had to study… *Anyone who knows me even just a tiny bit: 'Riiiiiiiiiiight'* 

Enjoy the new chappy!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer's first field exam has ended and now the crucial question arises: Did he pass?_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                          Chapter 6: The SeeD inauguration **

* * *

* * *

            Seifer was slouched on the seat of a SeeD vessel, getting him and the rest of his Squad back to Garden. He was resting his chin on his balled fist, staring blankly outside the window. He'd been trying to keep any thoughts whatsoever off of his head, by attempting to match his state of mind with the calmness of the turquoise sea. He failed…

            The exam had gone fairly well. He'd managed to stick to orders, he'd accomplished the mission he was assigned… He had probably passed. He had expected something much more challenging, but then again, nothing seemed challenging enough for Seifer Almasy. His enormous amount of confidence and pride was something to be jealous of, as well as surprised at. It was his strength, but also his weakness. He only hoped it would never prove to be his downfall, although he feared it greatly.

            The only thing that bugged him about the outcome of the mission had been Xu's anger on his belated arrival at the rendezvous point at the beach. His Squad tried to calm her down by explaining that he stayed behind to help a girl in trouble. It seemed to have appeased her fury to some extent, however, he was more than certain that it would count defectively to his evaluation. He let out a small grin. What do you know? He'd actually managed to do his share of 'good deed' for the day by helping that raven-haired girl out of harm's way. Damn, he hadn't even gotten her name… Either way, he couldn't have helped but notice the petite, blue-dressed girl. She was… decent enough… OK, so she was really pretty. But way too helpless… Seifer assumed that she could have desperately asked for help even at the sight or a roach. Anyway, she was just another girl he'd probably never see again. Not that it hurt him anyway…

            He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. No matter how hard he'd been trying to push a certain mental image away from his mind by bombarding it with insignificant thoughts, he didn't make it. His skin shivered all over his body, as a pair of terrified-looking eyes and a gaping mouth, dripping with blood appeared before him. In his head, the sound of cold steel blade ripping trough flesh, replayed again and again, until he couldn't take it anymore.

            Grasping his mouth with his right palm, he rushed out of the room, leaving everyone inside it in bewilderment. He rushed over to the WC, fiercely pulling the door of the stall open. He fell kneeling onto the floor; his vision was growing hazy, his skin was glistening in sweat and he could feel the bile, so far wedged in his stomach, rising up dangerously. He tried to hold it in for a moment, almost choking, but eventually let himself release his welled up frustration and fear by the temporarily easiest means. 

            After spending what seemed like hours over the toilet seat, Seifer raked a hand through his fair hair, now damp in sweat. He drew many intakes of oxygen until he was determined that his mind could work properly again. He sighed deeply and got onto his feel, dragging his steps to the sink. He turned the tap on and cupped some water, throwing it on his face. He rested both his palms on each side of the sink and looked at himself in the mirror.

            **_'It's over now…' _**he thought.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            _Poor Seifer… What happened to him?_

_                                                                        *Sigh* It was his first time killing a person._

_                                    How can you tell?_

_                                                                        The look on his face as soon as he did it matched my own exactly. Getting over your first killing                                                                               isn't an easy deal…_

_                                                                                                                                                Obviously…_

_                                                You know what surprises me though? I always had this mental image of Seifer as a killing-machine with no                                                          trace of emotions… Now I realize he is just as human as anyone else…                        _            __

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

          

            A green SeeD vehicle reached Balamb Garden, making its way to the Parking Lot. The driver parked the car and switched the engine off. The back door opened first and out came the four participants of Squad A, along with their supervisor, Xu. Seifer leaned against the wall, still feeling his stomach a bit queasy. It was humiliating and disturbing enough, having to claim sea-sickness on the vessel before to cover up his tenseness, and now he had to wait for whatever on earth Xu had to say.

- _"Right…" _she began, adjusting her uniform _"Good job everyone. I assume that you already know that the results will be out soon?" _she asked.

- _"Yes ma'am."_ came from everyone but Seifer. He simply nodded.

- _"Good, just be on stand-by till they call you up." _she said and strode out of the Parking Lot.

              The four cadets remained in the Lot, stretching and rubbing their sore muscles. 

- _"I guess we have sometime free now… Man, if I weren't so anxious, I'd definitely get some sleep!"_ said Andy Wallace.

- _"Tell me about it… Well, good luck everyone, I'll see you when the results are out." _said Gabriel Johnson, waving at them as he left the room.

- _"Good luck." _said the other three in unison.

- _"Well Seifer…" _said Andy Wallace, extending his arm to Seifer _"Good job as Squad leader. I hope we all pass man."_

- _"Thanks. I hope so too…" _replied Seifer, exchanging a lukewarm handshake with his squad mate.

- _"Bye __Jake__." _Andy said to the anxious red-head, walking outside as well.

- _"Bye…" _mumbled Jake.

            The two remaining members of Squad A made their way outside the Parking Lot. Seifer was surprised to find Xu waiting outside.

- _"__Jacob__ you are dismissed. I need to talk to your Squad… captain." _she said, giving a mocking emphasis to that last word.

            Jacob Stuart gave both Xu and Seifer a nod and made his way towards the Dormitory corridor. When he was out of earshot, Seifer turned his gaze at Xu.

- _"Yes?" _he asked impatiently.

- _"Manners Almasy." _Xu spat at the blond icily. Seifer sighed and gave her a weak salute.

- _"How may I assist you __Miss__Chang__?" _he asked, smirking.

- _"Just a warning, Seifer." _said the brunette, narrowing her eyes at him _"Keep in mind that I **will** take the incident of your delay into serious consideration." _she added, making Seifer frown upon her threateningly _"I specifically recall mentioning right before the initiation of the exam that the order to withdraw takes priority. And unless I get solid evidence that you actually **did** stall because you were helping some girl out of trouble, I'm not buying it. Have I made myself clear?"_

- _"Crystal." _growled Seifer.

- _"Right. You're dismissed then, **cadet**." _she said, giving him a stern nod.

            Without saluting her, Seifer turned his heel and disappeared down the hallway, cursing under his breath.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The tall blond closed the door behind him, stretching. He found his roommate and best friend, Raijin Takeshi, lying on his bed, reading a book. Upon seeing Seifer enter the room, Raijin put his book down and looked at him eagerly.

- _"How'd it go, ya know?" _he asked.

- _"I think it went well… I've got a fair chance of passing…"_ replied Seifer, removing his cadet uniform shirt.

- _"I knew you'd make it, ya know?" _replied Raijin smiling.

- _"Thanks Raij… Seen Fujin around?" _asked Seifer.

- _"She went to get us a couple of sodas and she'll be back any time now." _said Raijin _"You OK, man?" _he asked, noticing for the first time the paleness of his friend's face.

- _"I'm fine." _Seifer said, a little too quickly_ "I'm gonna go have a shower before the results, k?" _said Seifer, walking over to the bathroom.

- _"Suit yourself…" _replied Raijin, turning his attention back to his book, 'Goodbye Pupurun.' 

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_                        Umm… you're not gonna show me whatever he does while in the bathroom now, will you?_

_                                                *Chuckle* It's **his** memories, so I guess I will. Besides, it's nothing you haven't seen before Quisty…_

_            I know, but… *Sigh* Can't you just…'skip' that?_

_                                                            Alright, alright… I'll see what I can do…_

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Raijin Takeshi and Fujin Wong were Seifer's best friends, his 'posse' as he called them. Ever since he came to Garden, those three had stuck together through everything. Raijin and Fujin were both a year younger than Seifer, so they hadn't taken the SeeD exam yet. Both of them looked up to Seifer and admired him for his talent and his confidence. Many people often wondered how they were able to put up with Seifer's attitude, because quite frankly, he was far from easy to deal with… And that's because he didn't show his other side to just everyone. But Raijin and Fujin had managed to shed his rough exterior and see the good in him…  

            The three of them seemed to melt each other's defenses once alone. Seifer was more cheerful and less spiteful, Raijin seemed more relaxed and less of a human-sized bear, while Fujin spoke normally and not in one-word sentences, aiming to intimidate people. Even though Seifer considered those two the closest thing to family he ever got, he just couldn't bare his soul to them about what had happened in his mission. He still had his pride and dignity to live up to, so he decided to keep the macho façade for the world outside, and bury his inner thoughts and fears within him. He couldn't let them know he'd felt so weak once gazing into the emptiness of his victim's eyes. Instead, he decided to let the burning hot water wash it away, as it had done with many other well-kept secrets of his past…  

            Seifer was still in the shower when Fujin came. She knocked the door and Raijin got up to open. The door opened and inside the dorm came the silver-haired counterpart of the posse. She was holding a pair of sodas in her hands. She laid them onto the desk and looked around the room.

- _"Seifer returned?" _she asked.

- _"Yeah, he's in the shower, ya know?" _replied Raijin.

- _"Went well?" _

- _"Yeah. He reckons he probably passed, ya know?" _said Raijin.

- _"Good." _replied Fujin.

            She grabbed a soda from the desk and sat on one of the beds, opening the can and taking a sip.

- _"What are you reading?" _asked Fujin.

- _"'Goodbye Pupurun.'"_ said Raijin, smiling.

- _"Again?!" _said Fujin, rolling her eyes.

- _"It's a good book, ya know!"_ protested Raijin.

            Right then, the bathroom door opened and Seifer's head poked out.

- _"Hey Fuj." _he said.

- _"Safe?" _asked Fujin.

- _"Meh… All of them kept getting into my way. But I did well…" _he said smiling weakly at her, getting back inside.

             A discreet bell was heard and Xu's voice through the PA sounded all over Garden.

- _"All candidates of today's SeeD exam, please assemble to the 2nd floor, in the area in front of the classrooms. I repeat: All candidates of today's SeeD exam, please assemble to the 2nd floor, in the area in front of the classrooms." _she said.

- _"Hey, Seifer man! You're gonna be late!" _shouted Raijin, knocking the bathroom door.

- _"Coming, coming!" _Seifer shouted back.

            Within seconds, the blond rushed out of the bathroom, buckling the pants of his spare uniform, while rubbing his hair dry with a towel. He flung the towel over at his bed and rushed out of the dorm, grabbing his shirt in one hand. Raijin and Fujin ran right behind him, to be present at the announcement of the results. Running down the corridor, Seifer buttoned the shirt of his cadet uniform. Raijin tossed him his grey trench coat he'd thoughtfully grabbed from the room right before leaving. Seifer gave him an appreciative smile and slipped his arms through the sleeves of the long coat. 

            Seifer always liked to stand out in a crowd. He didn't want to be just like everyone else, so he always chose to do something to differ. Like right now. He was wearing his trench coat, one of his favorite pieces of clothing, over his uniform, although the regulations stated that all cadets should be attired in their uniforms **only**. However, Seifer was never one to follow rules, even though he was head of the Disciplinary Committee of Garden. He'd only gotten the position to be able to break rules more easily anyway… Strangely enough, Cid always seemed to have a soft spot for him and let him get away with minor things. Seifer couldn't possibly understand why, but he didn't complain all the same.  

            The trio arrived on the 2nd floor designated area after a couple of minutes. Seifer skidded to a halt, sighing in relief that he'd made it. He saw many familiar faces there, anxiously waiting for results. Between them, he spotted a recent girlfriend of his, Angelina Schaffer. He gave her a smile and a nod, but she just turned her head away and scoffed. Seifer grinned and rubbed the back of his hair **_'Obviously still mad at me…' _**he thought, trying to remember what exactly she was mad at him about. Meanwhile, he leaned against a wall, watching Raijin bite his fingernails across him in anxiety and Fujin looking around calmly. The rest of the cadets were either pacing back and forth the hallway, mumbling incoherent things to themselves, or just doing nothing at all. 

****           Their anxiety wasn't prolonged, as a couple of minutes after Seifer had arrived, a Garden Faculty member made his –or could it be **hers**? No-one could tell with those outfits anyway- appearance in the hallway. Everyone turned around and held their breaths as the results became announced.

- _"From Squad A: __Seifer__Almasy__…" _began the Faculty member.

            Seifer threw his fist in the air triumphantly, as Raijin shouted in delight and Fujin smiled broadly. The blond –now- SeeD waved them goodbye quickly and hurried up the Headmaster's office on the 3rd floor _'I can't believe he ACTUALLY passed…'_

- _"…__Gabriel__Johnson__ and __Andrew__ Wallace." _continued the Faculty _"From Squad B: __Terry__Donahue__ and Julianne Sokal. From Squad C: __Anna__Fischer__. And from Squad D: __Frederick__Davis__ and Cassandra Keenan. That is all." _

            Cheers and screams of joy were heard from the cadets who heard their names, while grunts and disappointed sighs were heard from the rest. All the newly appointed SeeDs made their way up to the 3rd floor to receive their degrees and congratulations from the Headmaster.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"At ease…" _said Headmaster Cid smiling, to the eight mercenaries standing at attention before him.

            The eight youngsters, all beaming with pride and delight, did so. 

- _"I'd first like to congratulate all eight of you on your success at the appointed mission. Timber now owes us a great deal of gratitude for our help in the conflict with the Galbadian forces. All of you did a great job and __Balamb__Garden__ is exceptionally proud to welcome you eight in the SeeD forces. I'm sure you'll all make great SeeDs." _said Cid. 

He approached the Garden Faculty member on his left and took hold of the eight paper rolls in his arms. He then walked over to each and every member to hand in their degree and give a private comment to everyone of them. He approached Sandra Keenan first.

- _"I had no doubt you'd pass with flying colors. Amazing job." _said Cid, handing in the degree to Sandra, who smiled modestly _"Good job. Just avoid any rash decisions in the future. Think before you act." _Cid said to Frederick Davis _"You were a really good captain. It's a shame no others passed from your Squad, but you did a superb job. Well done." _Anna Fischer heard the Headmaster say to her _"You tend to think too little of yourself. You should be more confident in the future. The fact that you passed this test proves that your skills are more than just good." _Cid spoke, referring to Julianne Sokal _"You gave us a bit of a dilemma when deciding on whether you should pass or not, but your remarkable skills with a shotgun left us with no other choice." _Cid said to Terry Donahue _"Don't depend solely on others to make decisions. Give yourself a bit more esteem. Other than that, good job." _spoke Cid to Andy Wallace _"I don't think I have any bad comments for you. Your written grades were a bit low concerning your caliber, but you never cease to surprise us with your techniques with nunchaks." _Cid said to Gabriel Johnson.

            Finally, the Headmaster approached Seifer. Being the first one called, he was the last one on the line. Cid gave him a kind of mischievous smile and spoke to him.

- _"Although all of your teachers and Instructors praise your wit and absolutely amazing skills with a gunblade, almost none of them thought you'd ever pass this test, due to your certain… disregard towards the rules. However, sometimes the circumstances that arise demand a slight 'flexibility' on the issue of whether it would be wise to 'go by the book' or not. Anyway, I'm more than glad to see that you've proven everyone wrong. __Balamb__Garden__ just gained a SeeD with frighteningly great potential." _said Cid, handing Seifer his degree.

            Seifer beamed at Cid's comments and received the roll of pare handed to him. The Headmaster walked back to his original position in front of the eight mercenaries and spoke for one last time.

- _"I won't keep you long. I'm sure all of you are more than looking forward to the SeeD inauguration party tonight and want to start getting ready." _Cid said smiling _"I'll just inform you of this: General Caraway of the Galbadian Army contacted me a few days ago and spoke about a military camp aiming to train future Galbadian soldiers. However, one can also attend this camp for mere training. It's a new concept of the Galbadian forces and will take place during the whole summer season, in the plains outside __Deling__City__. Anyone interested in it, should contact me for more information concerning the fee, the exact duration etc…You should all fill in the application forms within this week, as after the weekend you'll have to leave for Deling and attend the camp. That is all. Dismissed." _finished Cid.

            The eight new additions to the SeeD forces saluted Cid and one by one left the office. Seifer had just reached the door, when he stopped for a second, then walked back to Cid.

- _"Sir?" _he said, saluting him again.

- _"Yes, Seifer?" _asked Cid.__

- _"Uhh… About this military camp…" _began Seifer.__

- _"Are you interested?" _

- _"I might be… Could you elaborate a bit more on it?" _asked Seifer.__

- _"Of course. The fee is 1000 Gil per week. You'll be able to pay from your paycheck as a SeeD. You get paid according to your Rank. The camp will take place between the dates of June 15th as you heard before, and August 5th. Almost two months. You'll live there of course and you'll get a weekly leave on the weekends, although you must be back to the camp before dusk. Anything else?" _said Cid.__

- _"No sir. I'm covered." _replied Seifer.__

- _"Thinking about joining the Galbadian forces Seifer?" _asked Cid, unable to help but frown a bit.__

- _"Hyne no…" _said Seifer, making Cid grin _"…I was just curious…"_

- _"Alright then." _said Cid _"Let me know within the week if you're interested or not."_

- _"Yes sir." _said Seifer and made a move to leave the office.__

- _"Seifer…" _Cid piped in _"Is there… something you wish to tell me?" _he asked in concern. __

            From the moment the young blond had stepped inside, Cid had noticed excitement and frustration exchanging places in his eyes, as they battled over which would be the dominant one. Seifer slightly parted his mouth open for a second, his heart ready to blurt it all out, but his mind strictly forbidding it. The latter part got the better of him eventually.

- _"No, sir."_

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer, Fujin and Raijin walked down the stairs to the Main Hall, heading towards the cafeteria. They were looking at Seifer's evaluation points on the degree.

* * *

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Balamb Garden

                                                                                                                                                                                                            June 10th, 2001 

**_                                                                                    VERIFICATION FORM OF SEED TITLE_**

_            This degree is given to__Seifer Almasy          on behalf of his/her accomplishments on the SeeD field exam. It is verified that this individual is now an active member of the __Balamb__Garden__ SeeD forces and shall follow all the regulations as well as receive all the advantages that come with the title._

_                                                                                    SEED EXAM EVALUATION POINTS_

_JUDGEMENT:    **50**_

_    CONDUCT:    **60**_

_       ATTACK:     **90**_

_           SPIRIT:    **100**_

_    ATTITUDE:    **70**_

****

****

**_                                                                             SEED RANK:  6_**

_            Signed,_

_Cid Kramer_

* * *

            Seifer grunted at the sight of the points he gathered on the Conduct and Judgment fields **_'Probably that bitch Xu's doing…' _**he thought. At least he had bothered to follow any rules at all, or else Xu would have died before giving her assent. He smiled as he remembered what his Instructor, Quistis Trepe had told him just before he left for the exam: 

_            'I believe in you. Just stick to orders and you'll do fine…' _

            And he had… So now one of his dreams had come true; he'd become a SeeD. Ever since he was a child he longed to be strong and powerful, to have others respect him and be able to help people when they needed him. Of course, his 'romantic' dreams went much further, but he'd just made the first step… Now the road was open for him to…

**                                                                             !SMACK!**

            Seifer had been so engrossed in his thoughts that both he and his comrades managed to miss the young boy which happened to come across their way. He and Seifer stumbled upon each other head first, resulting in two sore foreheads. Seifer cursed under his breath and rubbed his forehead with one palm, while cracking open one eye to see the person who'd made the mistake of stumbling upon him. Seifer was a known bully around Garden and almost all students knew better than to get into his way. And that included the boy who'd just hit him as well… Only he didn't seem to be frightened of Seifer all that much _'Oh Hyne! It's Squall when he was only sixteen…'_

- _"Leonhart?" _Seifer said, frowning, upon seeing the boy in front of him.

            Squall Leonhart was an introverted young man, only a year younger than Seifer, who barely spoke any words other than 'Whatever'. He didn't have any friends in Garden, as he chose not to let **anyone** penetrate the hard shell he'd built around him. However, he was admired by many around the academy, for his superb skills with a gunblade. Him and Seifer were the only gunblade specialists in Garden; not many students chose to train upon such a hard weapon. Gunblades were widely known about their heavy weight and extreme danger while handling them. Meaning that the person training with one should be well-built in order to be able to handle it decently enough. Seifer undoubtedly looked more than physically capable of wielding a gunblade, however Squall was much less muscular, although well-built. It was still a mystery to everyone how he managed to handle the heavy weapon with such ease and grace, as if it was a natural extension to his arm. 

            Him and Seifer were still the only people worthy of the above characterization. That's probably what provoked the incessant competition between them. Ever since those two had joined Garden, they hadn't stopped fighting verbally or with the use of weapons for one single second. It was really impressive to watch those two fight. It was almost dance-like; every move was carefully considered before performed and it always seemed to match that of the opponent's. 

            Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart. Both so different, yet both so alike. One, a fiery tall blond with twistedly glistening jade eyes. The other, cold, with icy blue eyes and brown hair. The first one, an arrogant and confident boy. The second, a modest and introverted one. Yet both had one thing in common; the craving for recognition. But another difference came and intersected their paths once again; each one of them sought recognition in completely opposite ways.

            Upon hearing Seifer's words, Squall frowned and gave him a glare.

- _"Almasy." _he said coldly, rubbing his sore forehead as well.

- _"What the fuck? Can't you watch where the hell you're goin'?!" _said Seifer annoyed.

- _"I believe that should apply both ways…" _said Squall, in a voice barely audible, glaring at Seifer.

- _"Watch it Squally…" _Seifer said smirking, pinching one of Squall's cheeks. The brown-haired boy slapped Seifer's hand away, as the blond went on _"You shouldn't talk to your superiors that way… And don't forget I can always add you to the Disciplinary list…"_

- _"What do you mean, 'superior'?" _asked Squall, raising an eyebrow, completely ignoring Seifer's last sentence.

- _"Haven't you heard?" _asked Seifer, crossing his arms, smirking. Behind him, Raijin and Fujin beamed as well.

- _"Heard what?"_

- _"I'm a SeeD now. The results are just out." _replied Seifer, a triumphant grin on his face.

            Squall's expression changed just a tiny bit to what seemed like surprise.

- _"You passed the field exam?" _he asked in disbelief.

- _"You betcha Leonhart…" _replied Seifer, leaning a bit down to him.

- _"*Scoff* Congratulations… How many out of the nine board members did you have to threaten in order to pass? Eight? Nine?" _asked Squall sarcastically.

- _"I see that your vocabulary extent increases greatly when it comes to acting all smart-ass, does it?" _retorted Seifer, grabbing Squall from the shirt, narrowing his eyes _"You just envy my glory Leonhart, that's all… But don't worry… You'll get your chance to wreak some havoc as well when the time comes…"_

            Squall pried Seifer off him casting him his trademark icy glare, while Seifer smirked down at him. The two men exchanged another glare before resuming their different paths. Seifer and his posse continued their way towards the cafeteria, while Squall seemed to be heading to the Training Center **_'Freaky boy…' _**Seifer thought, while striding down the corridors **_'And I thought _I_ was weird… But he's a good fighter; I'll give him that… Let's just see how he'll do when his time comes…' _**  

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_            Squall looked so cute when he was sixteen…_

_                                    I suppose…So I presume the inauguration party comes next… Just skip it and let's move to something else. Do you                                                 know about anything important that happened around those days?_

_            Oh, trust me… You **want** to see the inauguration party… _

_                                                                                    Why do I **not **like the sound of this?_

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was sitting in front of the mirror in the bathroom of his dorm, gelling his hair into place. He was dressed in his SeeD uniform, all set for the SeeD inauguration party up in the 2nd floor ballroom. He washed his hands and checked out his reflection one last time. He blew a smile to the mirror; he was always more than satisfied with his appearance. And apparently, he wasn't the only one in Garden… Smirking, he walked out of the bathroom, flicking the lights off and walked back to the main room.

            Raijin and Fujin were sitting on one of the two beds, playing a game of Triple Triad. The game was not over yet, but Raijin was already grinning in delight as he was winning 7-3. Fujin was going to be the one to place the last card on the deck. She carefully examined that last two remaining on her hand and placed the one of her choice, with a wide grin spread across her face. Her last card, following the rule of 'Plus', flipped the two adjacent cards, which on their cue, turned over three other cards, resulting into a 2-8, in favor of Fujin. Raijin's smile was immediately wiped off his face, as Fujin took a look around his set of cards and picked up the 'Quetzalcoatl' card. 

- _"Aw, c'mon Fuj! I thought we were only playing friendly!"_ protested Raijin. __

- _"Were we also playing friendly when you snatched my 'Leviathan' card?" _asked Fujin sarcastically.

            Raijin groaned in response and let her have the card. Seifer, who was standing there unnoticed all this time, cleared his throat.

- _"How do I look?" _he asked, making a turn around himself.

- _"Lookin' good!" _admired Raijin.

- _"Really?" _Seifer asked again, placing his hands on his hips, frowning.

- _"What's wrong?" _asked Fujin.

- _"I dunno…" _replied Seifer shrugging _"I don't like these dances and stuff…Too many people…" _he mumbled, still feeling kind of down about the prior events of the day.

- _"I bet Instructor Trepe will be there…"_ said Raijin meaningfully.

- _"SO?!" _Seifer almost yelled, looking half enraged-half embarrassed.

- _"Hey relax man…" _whimpered Raijin.

- _"Raijin just thought you might want to **thank **her…" _piped in Fujin, trying to help the situation.

- _"Why would I want to thank her? **I** passed this test, not **her**…" _said Seifer, crossing his arms, glaring at Raijin.

- _"Well yes… But just for the sake of appearances…" _suggested Fujin.

- _"Right…" _mumbled Seifer, touching his chin while thinking _"…right… Maybe I should go…" _

            Raijin and Fujin smiled as Seifer ran a hand through his hair and approached the door. He opened it and nodded them goodbye.

- _"I don't think I'll stay long…" _he said and closed the door, as his two friends stood behind it, waving him goodbye.

            When he closed the door behind him, Fujin gave Raijin's shin a strong kick.

- _"OW!" _howled Raijin.

- _"Nice going!" _hissed Fujin.

- _"What? What did I do?!" _asked Raijin innocently, grabbing his sore shin.

                                                                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer walked over to the Main Hall and up the stairs to the elevator. He found Gabriel Johnson along with two girls waiting outside. At the sight of him, Gabriel waved at him cheerfully. Seifer grinned and approached them.

- _"Hey man… Congrats!" _said Gabriel, extending his arm.

- _"Same back at ya…" _said Seifer, shaking Gabriel's hand vigorously.

- _"__Gabriel__, aren't you going to introduce us?" _asked one of the two girls.

- _"Of course…" _said Gabriel _"Girls, this is __Seifer__Almasy__…" _

            Seifer nodded slightly giving the girls a smile. He wouldn't mind some female 'company' for tonight after all… The girls were both decent alright. The one who'd spoken, was a slim red-haired girl, with some curves on the right spots, Seifer noticed. Her eyes were brown and sparkly. She wore a black midi dress with a big slit one the right thigh. She wasn't any beauty, but she was definitely worth taking another look… The other one, had brown hair worn in a high ponytail and honey eyes. She was wearing a SeeD uniform **_'Oh, I remember her from the field exam…' _**he thought.****

- _"…Seifer, this is __Sandra__ Keenan, my girlfriend…" _Gabriel went on, pointing to the brunette.

- _"Nice to meet you Seifer." _said Sandra, smiling sweetly at him.

- _"You too." _said Seifer shaking her hand.

- _"And this is __Devon__ Strife." _added Gabriel, introducing the red-haired girl.

- _"Hello Seifer." _said Devon, giving Seifer a seductive smile.

- _"Hi Devon." _replied Seifer, giving her one of his most charming smiles.

- _"Would you like to join us tonight? We're meeting some friends up in the ballroom." _suggested Gabriel.

- _"Sure." _said Seifer plainly, shrugging.

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            The four of them walked inside the elevator booth and headed towards the 2nd floor. Once there, they headed towards the ballroom. From inside, a loud raucous could be heard, coming from the music and chattering of the students. Gabriel and Sandra walked inside first, pushing open the two large doors. Seifer and Devon walked in right after them. 

            The ballroom was filled with students, all of them either newly appointed or already SeeDs. Many teachers and Instructors, as well as the Headmaster were there. Seifer followed the others to their table, where he was introduced to some others people as well. He spent about half an hour talking with Devon, sipping a few glasses of champagne or punch. He found out that Devon was already a SeeD and Sandra's best friend. Also that she came from Fisherman's Horizon (A/N: remember that girl who always passed by the Item store in FH? Imagine Devon kinda like her…) and that she loved to read comic books. Seifer wasn't all that interested in this girl, although he couldn't help but grin when he saw his ex-girlfriend's, Angelina Schaffer's, face, upon seeing him talk to another girl. He went on and on talking to Devon, until his eyes caught a woman entering the room. 

            Apparently, he wasn't the only one to turn around at the sight, as almost every male head jerked around when Quistis Trepe walked into the room. It was common knowledge than many guys would give their right, err… **arm**, to have a woman like her for only one night and Seifer had often scoffed at that. He always found her pretty at the very least, but he couldn't understand what the fuss was all about… That night he **did**.

            Quistis stepped inside the ballroom with the air of a star. If someone didn't know her well enough, they could assume that she'd let all this 'fame' get to her head. However, Quistis could show a nearly naïve ignorance to all the attention she received from men. Sure, she was well aware of the Trepies, the students who looked up to her like a goddess, but she never thought it went anywhere beyond plain admiration. She walked inside the ballroom, brushing away a lock from her face. The dress she had chosen to wear was of peach color, much similar to the one of her battling gear. A pair of thin straps emerged from on the shoulders, tying behind her neck. The peach dress followed the curves of her body, falling down gracefully to her feet and a long slit on the left side reached up to her knee. Her feet were adorned by a pair of similarly colored sandals, with straps that tied around her ankles. She wore her hair up in a tight ponytail, with a pair of locks falling down to her cheeks. Her make-up was subtle, barely noticeable, yet it managed to bring out the good elements on her face.

            Upon seeing her, Seifer's jaw dropped. He'd never seen her in anything but the SeeD uniform or her battle gear before. The dress wasn't even revealing, but right now he couldn't think of any other woman who could make it look better on her. Keep in mind that in a military academy, the sight of a woman in a dress wasn't an everyday luxury… To him, she was always just Trepe. His attractive Instructor with the tight-assed and prudish –to him- demeanor, who was just a few months older than him, who always tried to boss him around and frequently got on his nerves. Sure, he'd more than once 'went with the flow' and let his mind wander in day-dreams about her like any normal teenager with hormones flaring up –the whip could let fantasies go quite wild-, but he never took it **that** seriously like a Hyne damn Trepie…  He just thought of her like another pretty face in the crowd. But right now, she was a **beautiful**, enticing **woman**, making every male head turn to her direction without even trying. Seifer watched her take a few steps, then turn back around towards the doors, as if waiting for someone. A few seconds later, that 'someone' appeared. It was Xu, Quistis' best friend in Garden and about a year older than her. Xu wore a long black dress, somewhat similar to Quistis' and had her hair down in its usual style. Seifer shook his head in disbelief; if he didn't consider Xu such a **bitch** he might even have liked the sight of her in a dress…

- _"Honestly, what do men see in her?" _spoke Devon, brining Seifer out of his trance.

- _"Huh?" _he said.

- _"__Quistis__Trepe__. I don't really see what the fuss is all about… There are **much** better looking women in Garden…" _repeated Devon.

- _"Yeah…" _nodded Seifer, although his eyes were fixed upon the ethereal blonde a few feet away from him.

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_                                                So… That was it? That's what you wanted to show me? Seifer gawking at me like he'd never                                                                           seen a woman in a dress before? _

_            Harsh words Quisty… The man was just admiring you… _

_                                                                                    Well yeah, throw on a dress and suddenly everyone notices you. Even a guy who up to                                                                                            now hated your Hyne damn guts…_

_                                                                                                            Seifer never hated you. You just didn't get along at first._

_                                    Either way, thanks for showing me that the man I supposedly love is so                                                                                                                 shallow, as to give me a second look once I show a bit of thigh…_

_Sheesh, what's with the bitterness?_

_                                                                        I just thought that since everyone babbles on about how Seifer and I have something so 'special'                                                                  going on, he'd be… I dunno… Different… As in, well… not shallow!  _

_                                                                                                            Quisty, you were both kids. He was a teenager with urges just like anyone!                                                                                                          You gotta start from somewhere…  _

_                        Right, right… Can we move on now please?_

_                                                                                                                        Alrighty…_

* * *

**A/N:** Touchy, touchy… Quistis wasn't obviously thrilled with the sight… Can't really blame her tho'…

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The night of the SeeD inauguration ball continues and a 'slight' interaction between our two main characters will complicate things between them… _

_Question is: will that be for the better, or for the worse?_


	8. Chapter 7: It's On

**A/N:** Yessssssss! The 'ebil' exams of Sauron are OVER! Now two more weeks to re-take any exams necessary, which will not be more than two hopefully… Ahh... T'feels good to sleep until 3 p.m. Sorry you had to wait so long for this update, but the mid-terms were driving me insane…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer passed the SeeD exam… Yay for him! And Quisty just walked inside the ballroom…_

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                      Chapter 7: It's On **

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* * *

            Quistis and Xu made their way across the ballroom, towards the bar. They felt countless male pairs of eyes practically nailed upon them, many of which came from Instructors even… Xu grinned and leaned over to Quistis' ear.

- _ "I guess the dress was a success after all…" _she said.

- _ "*Scoff* Please…They're all just trying to interpret the image of me in a dress …" _replied Quistis, seemingly annoyed.

- _"Honestly Quistis, you should give yourself **much** more credit than that… You look great!" _protested Xu.

- _"I don't feel comfortable… And those damn heels are **killing** me!" _she whispered, wincing a bit in pain.

- _"No pain, no gain…"_ said Xu.

- _"What could I possibly 'gain' from the traumatic experience of torturing my feet?"_ Quistis asked exasperated.

- _"Some male company by your bedside for the night?" _asked Xu, nudging her friend playfully in the ribs.

            Quistis shook her head in disbelief and approached the bar.

- _ "How may I help you?" _asked the bartender, grinning broadly.

- _"A Martini, please. Dry, no olive." _said Quistis dryly, noticing the expression on the bartender's face.

- _"A Tequila for me, on the rocks." _said Xu.

- _"Right away…" _said the man and turned around to fix their drinks.

- _"By the way…" _whispered Xu in Quistis' ear _"Instructor __Rogers__ is here…"_ she said slyly. 

- _"And…?" _asked Quistis, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Well you **know** he's shown quite the interest in you ever since you became an Instructor…"_ Xu trailed off.

- _"Honestly, what **is** it with you setting me up tonight?!" _asked Quistis in exasperation.

- _"One: I don't like to see my friend spoiling what could possibly the most 'interesting' years of her life while waiting for Prince charming…" _began Xu.

- _"I'm **not** waiting for 'Prince charming', thank you very much!" _protested Quistis.

- _"…And two:…"_ continued Xu dispassionately _"…I don't want to feel guilty for ditching you while I seduce Instructor __Blaine__ tonight…" _she finished, grinning mischievously.

- _"*Groan* Go ahead and 'seduce' him… I won't be staying for long anyway…" _said Quistis moodily.

- _"Your drinks ladies…" _said the bartender suddenly, handing them two glasses.

- _"Thank you." _said the two women in unison.

            They both strolled around the Ballroom, making idle conversation –in Xu's case- with other Instructors, or the Headmaster himself. At some point, Xu leaned over Quistis' ear and said something, walking towards the Ladies' room. Quistis stood in a corner, sipping her drink quietly while glancing around the ballroom. Right across the room, Seifer, deciding he'd heard enough ex-boyfriend stories to last him a lifetime, decided to go for a re-fill of his punch cup, making a mental note to take his sweet time doing it…

- _"__Devon__?" _he said, interrupting the red-head _"Could you excuse me for a sec? I'll go re-fill my cup."_

- _"Alright…" _mumbled Devon, sounding a bit disappointed.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The tall blond –slowly- made his way to the grand buffet, looking around for the punch-bowl. He re-filled his cup and turned around to look back at the table of the people he'd been hanging with. Noticing that Devon was engrossed in a conversation with some other girl, he seized the opportunity and slipped out to the balcony cautiously. Once outside, he leaned against the wall, sighing in relief. The weather outside was very warm and Seifer found himself pulling the collar of his shirt uneasily **_'Damn this uniform… I'll be getting back to my dorm drenched…'_**

- _"Hot isn't it?"_

            Jumping up startled, Seifer turned to his left, only to find Quistis Trepe standing there, looking as impressive as ever, holding a glass filled with her drink of choice. He gave her a nod and spoke.

- _"Tell me about it… I'm sweating my ass off here…" _he said, taking a sip of his refreshing punch.

- _"Always the gentleman Seifer…" _Quistis said sarcastically, unable to suppress a small grin in any case.

            Seifer made an attempt at flashing her one of his infamous smirks. However, something didn't quite add up to Quistis. Whenever he actually did it, it never seemed like he was trying; right now, it did.

- _"Everything alright Seifer?" _she asked in concern, approaching him a bit.

- _"Fine…" _Seifer replied shrugging indifferently, bringing the cup to his lips again.

- _"Are you sure?" _Quistis asked arching a fair eyebrow, not quite convinced.

            Seifer stared blankly ahead of him for a few seconds, then grinned and turned his gaze to her.

- _"Dead sure." _he replied somewhat grimly, emptying the remainder of his drink in one huge gulp.

            Quistis didn't know what, but knew that **something** was really wrong. She felt the urge to ask, but was quite certain that she would probably have to use of a crowbar to make the young swordsman blurt it out to her. She needed to make a different approach…

- _"Oh!" _she exclaimed, slapping her forehead lightly _"I almost forgot what I came out here for… Congratulations!" _she added smiling brightly, extending her hand to him.

- _"Thank you…" _Seifer mumbled, nodding and shook her hand in a lukewarm manner.

- _"I heard from Xu that you did very well," _she said, taking a sip from her drink _"I was there of course, but I had to keep an eye on my Squad. How was it?" _she asked.

- _"Meh… Not as much of a challenge as I expected… Still, an… amusing experience…" _he replied, trying –and failing- to fake nonchalance.

- _"'Amusing', eh?" _repeated Quistis, starting to get a clue or two on what exactly was bugging her former student _"I remember **my **first exam…" _she reminisced _"Took me quite a while to get over it…"_

- _"Why?" _Seifer asked frowning, raising an eyebrow and then proceeded in asking himself why the hell he even gave a damn.

- _"Never seen so much blood before… I guess I wasn't prepared to face death in the eye when I was only fifteen…" _she said gloomily _"It's a miracle I passed actually. I never thought I'd sleep peacefully again…" _she trailed off.

- _"You were too young, that's all…" _said Seifer firmly, gazing in font of him, at nowhere in particular.

- _"Probably…" _said Quistis shrugging _"But then again," _she began knowingly _"No-one ever feels ready to take another person's life away, no matter how old they are…"_

            Seifer seemed to stop breathing for a moment. Mechanically, he raised the cup to his lips, only to recall that he'd emptied it not too long ago. He mumbled a curse and shook his head in disbelief. Quistis moved closer to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Seifer jumped up at the touch and sharply turned to look at her. 

- _"Many students of mine have felt this way when passing through that stage," _she said softly, as if being able to read his thoughts _"It's nothing to be ashamed of…" _she added.

- _"I can deal with murder just fine, thank you very much…" _said Seifer abruptly, moving a bit further away to become rid of her touch.

            He might as well have enjoyed the enticing sight of her, but this conversation didn't appeal to him. Not one bit…

- _"Seifer, it's not murder," _Quistis retorted patiently _"It's_ _battle. There's a **huge** difference. Trust me, almost everyone feels that way. It'll become easier by the time, you'll see." _she said, smiling warmly at him.

            Seifer brought his eyes to meet with hers. He didn't know what to say or what to think, so he just retained an expressionless mask on his face. Neither of them spoke for a long time, and only broke eye contact when Seifer turned away. Silently, Quistis made a move to walk back to the doorframe and out of the balcony, when she heard Seifer's voice. 

- _"It's just that…"_ he mumbled in a voice barely audible _"I can't forget his eyes… The look on his face…"_

            Quistis turned around and walked over to him.

- _ "It wasn't the blood… Just his… expression…" _he continued, lowering his head to stare awkwardly at the floor.

            Right then, without even realizing what she was doing, Quistis approached Seifer and slid her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his chest and sighed.

- _ "It'll be alright Seifer…"_ she whispered to the bemused blond.

            Now **that** had been something he wouldn't expect her to have done in a million years. Trepe? Engaging into actual **physical **contact with **him** of all people? He recalled many a time of him joking around, asking her if he was her favorite student and beaming at her affirmative response, but he never took it seriously. And then suddenly, the tiny devious 'gears' inside his brain began working relentlessly **_'Well, well, well…' _**he thought, unable to suppress a smirk **_'Now that's certainly an 'invitation' if I've ever seen one…Seems like the Instructor finally succumbed to my charms…' _**He grinned inwardly. He wouldn't really mind a piece of her right now… Hell, he wouldn't mind it the least bit…

            He wrapped one arm around her as well and slid the other one to the small of her back, slowly caressing it, making his way steadily downwards. Quistis blinked and felt really uncomfortable all of a sudden. What in Hyne's name was he doing?

- _ "Seifer," _she said, pulling away from him _"What are you doing?"_ she asked, the most bewildered expression on her face.

- _"What's wrong with you, Trepe?" _asked Seifer arching an eyebrow _"One minute you're coming all over me and the other-"****_

- _"Whoa – whoa – whoa… I'm **what**?!" _asked Quistis, eyes shooting wide open. **__**

- _"Come off it Instructor…" _he said almost exasperated _"You think I don't know where all this supportive crap was heading towards?"****_

- _"You thought I was-?" _she began, looking flabbergasted.**__**

- _"Correction: I **know** you were." _he said smirking.**__**

- _"Seifer, I was **only** aiming to comfort you, not," _she said, grimacing _"'Flirt' you…"****_

- _"*Scoff* Who said I needed you to Hyne damn **comfort** me in the first place?" _he asked, frowning.**__**

- _"You needn't **tell** me! You looked distressed and I tried to make you feel better. You said-"****_

- _"I'm not some pansy-ass pussy to need frickin' **comfort** Trepe. Probably just the booze talkin' anyway…" _Seifer said looking away, trying to redeem himself for the newly added bruise to his ego _"Don't try and turn this over to **me**. **You** were the one who initiated all the huggin' and shit…"  _

            Quistis' jaw dropped in appall by what she'd just heard. And to think she had actually felt for him for a moment there… Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and narrowed her eyes at him.

- _"I suggest that you stay away form any more drinking spree for the night Mr. Almasy." _she said coldly _"The only thing alcohol does to an already rotten behavior, is deteriorate it. Good night." _she finished, turning her heel.

            Seifer's eyebrows arched at the blonde woman's remark and he stood there still, watching her disappear from sight as she walked back inside the ballroom. He scoffed and walked towards the doorframe himself **_'I guess I won't be getting' any tonight then…' _**Once back in, his gaze traveled across the room, only to notice that Quistis had disappeared. He shrugged, thinking he couldn't care less, deciding to stand by his previous view on Trepe **_'Just another fucking pretty face in the crowd…'_**

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                                                _Well, that just shows how right I was before, doesn't it? I don't even understand **why **you'd want to show me that…_

_                                                                        I dunno, I thought you two had a moment there…_

_                                                                                                            **Moment**?! He was trying to grab my ass for crying out loud!_

_                                                            He was **vulnerable**. He felt really bad about what happened in his exam, you were there, you comforted him and he just _

_                                                            misunderstood your intentions… Or did he?_

_            *Sigh* You've still got a **lot** to learn about Seifer Almasy, Ellone… You **don't** know how his mind works. _

_                                                                                    I never said he was a 'saint' from the beginning Quisty. But people change. And I also never said you just fell for each _

_                                                                                    other head over heels with the first touch…_

_                        Who's side are you on again?_

_                                                                                                            I'm on **no-one's** side. I'm just trying to help you out here and you seem to keep forgetting that. _

_                                    You're right… I'm sorry. I-_

_                                                                                    I'm not mad, but if you want me to be honest with you, you can't expect me to show you only the good moments you and Seifer shared.  _

_                                                                                                                        Good Hyne, we actually had **good** ones?_

_            It's not funny Quistis. I'm serious here._

_                                                                                    I know, I was only joking…_

_                                    Listen Quisty, as much as I'm a sucker for romance myself, there's something you need to understand. There's no such thing as 'instant' love. Even _

_                                    Squall and Rinoa, for whom everyone said they are a match made in heaven, had to work hard for their relationship. And you know that better_

_                                     than I do. Nothing is perfect. People have to try a lot to make a relationship work. And that's what makes it truly special…_

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            A clattering sound broke the silence of the otherwise silent Dormitory corridor; the sound of Quistis' heels against the concrete floor. The blonde Instructor made her way back to her quarters, infuriated beyond imagination. She'd told Xu that she felt tired and was going to sleep. Sleep… She highly doubted she'd be able to get any tonight, with the tenseness she could feel right now. She opened her purse and slid her key-card through the receptor on her door, rushing inside her dorm. She threw her purse on the bed and sat on it, beginning to remove her sandals. How **dare** he? How **dare** he talk to her like that? He'd acted even worse than the Hyne damn Trepies. At least none of them had displayed the obscene audacity Seifer Almasy just had. Maybe it was the damned dress that had done all the 'damage'. 

            Quistis kicked the now loosened sandals off her feet, sending them flying across the room, falling with a mild thud on the floor. She sighed. For a moment, the thought that Seifer could actually have a thing for her crossed her mind. She scoffed and pushed it away immediately. Seifer Almasy was incapable of falling for anyone. Not that he was a bad guy really… Just unbelievably full of himself and selfish. Just a big bully… She had to admit that she kind of liked him as a person. She admired his confidence and his spirit. But nothing beyond that. He'd been her student for Hyne's sake. And he'd done nothing to try and win over her heart, to make her even **consider** of giving him a chance. And what the hell was she thinking, hugging him in the first place? Either way, he had no right to take advantage of it…

            **_'Men… I'll never understand them…' _**she thought and began getting undressed **_'And certainly not Almasy…'_**

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_                                                                                                                                         The next morning…_

            Seifer stirred around in his bed. The bright morning light had found its way through the thin curtains of his room right to his face, awakening him. He let out a sleepy moan and stretched, yawning deeply. He lazily rubbed his eyes open with one palm and slowly cracked them open. His head was throbbing mildly and his stomach felt slightly queasy that morning. He hadn't had too much to drink last night thankfully, otherwise he knew he'd be dragging himself out of bed to the bathroom by now… He sat up in bed, resting his weight on his palms. He glanced to his right and found Raijin sleeping peacefully in his bed on the other side of the room, oblivious to the world around him.

            He grinned. That would probably be the last time he'd ever lay eyes on that sight again, since he was going to have his own room as of today, becoming a SeeD and all. He'd actually done it. No more boring classes, no more having to put up with every shitty Instructor's attitude **_'Fuck…' _**he thought suddenly. The memory of coming on to Quistis rushed into his mind. He'd felt somewhat touched by her interest last night and to top it, the damn hormones did nothing to hold him back from doing something as stupid as what he'd done. But hell, **she** was the one who hugged him in the first place. How the heck was he supposed to know what she meant by it? OK, so it was a bit out of line to try and get advantage of it as well, but he certainly didn't deserve that spiteful comment she'd retorted… did he? 

            **_'Women… I'll never fucking understand them…' _**he thought, getting up from bed **_'And certainly not Trepe.'_**

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            The silver metal fork pierced through the amber colored egg, sprawled on Quistis' plate, filling it with similarly colored yolk. The blonde girl let out a groan of disgust and pushed the dish away, bringing her carton coffee cup closer at the same time. She took a sip and rubbed her sore temples, burying her head inside the cleft of her folded arms. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Her mind had been way too busy wandering around in pointless thoughts to even consider giving her a break and take a rest. She felt like she could fall asleep right then and there if it weren't for the buoyant humming of students chatting all around the cafeteria. 

            She wasn't sure how much time had passed, before the clatter of a plate being placed upon the table and a muffled 'Good morning' brought her out of her trance. She lazily poked her head out of its hiding place and found Xu sitting right across her on the table, maiming a completely innocent blueberry muffin with a knife, while resting her cheek on her fist in boredom. And probably drowsiness. 

- _"I take it your night didn't go as planned?" _Quistis asked, a small sarcastic smirk spreading on her full lips. Xu sighed.

- _"Let's just say," _she said _"That fame, obviously isn't everything…"_ she added, tossing her knife to the side.

            The small metal object let out a clattering sound as it bounced upon the table. Clearly, that wasn't the wisest action to take, as Xu's hangover-suffering ears interpreted the clatter as a drum-piercing sound that could have easily blown the insides of her head to pieces. The brunette grimaced and hissed, covering her ears.

- _"Not too fond of loud sounds, are we today?" _Quistis asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"As if my night wasn't disastrous enough…" _replied Xu, shaking her head in disbelief.

- _"That bad?"_

- _"Worse." _retorted Xu _"I'm telling you, the guy's living in denial… I had to bite my lip so that I wouldn't burst out laughing…"_

- _"*Groan* And you're saying **he's** full of himself…" _said Quistis, rolling her eyes.

- _"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that…"_ said Xu, taking a sip from her coffee _"So how'd your night go?"_

- _"Could have gone better I guess…" _said Quistis, narrowing her eyes which followed the tall, brawny silhouette that had just entered the cafeteria, followed by a bulkier and a feminine one.

            Xu cocked an eyebrow and turned around, trying to spot what her friend's eyes had been plastered upon. She arched both eyebrows at the sight and turned around abruptly.

- _ "**Don't** tell me you're beginning to eye Almasy with nasty intentions…" _she said, her expression flabbergasted.

- _"For your own sake, I hope that by 'nasty', you mean the intention to beat him into a pulp…" _said Quistis, now narrowing her eyes at her friend.

- _"I shall put aside the fact that you think you can beat up Almasy," _said Xu smirking, earning a glare from Quistis _"And I'll try to concentrate hard of exactly **what** a woman could possibly see in him."_

            Quistis rolled her eyes as the brunette across her turned back around and began studying Seifer more intently. The first, pulled her friend back around from her arm and spoke.

- _ "Will you please drop it?" _said the blonde frustrated _"I didn't mean I'm into Seifer…"_

- _"Oh, so now he's plain Seifer?" _Xu asked, her brow cocking upwards once more.__

- _"You're unbelievable…" _said Quistis, shaking her head in disbelief.__

- _"Well…I don't **totally** blame ya," _said Xu shrugging _"But aside from a firm pair of cheeks, a good set of muscles and a presentable face, I really don't think there's more to pursue…"_

- _"**Please** tell me that you meant the cheeks on his **face**…" _said Quistis, burying her head in her arms again.__

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            Across the big cafeteria room, Raijin grabbed a tray full of food from the counter and followed Fujin and Seifer towards their usual table in the hall. The Disciplinary Committee trio made its way to the table and sat down. A pair of jade eyes scouted around the room in boredom, stopping onto the frame of a blonde woman, sulking, seated across a brunette who was saying something that had obviously bothered her. Seifer grabbed a piece of toast from his plate, taking a big bite off it. He continued to stare at his former Instructor, who had now raised her head, so far concealed within her arms, and was glancing around the room as well. Blue and green rays suddenly met and both pairs of eyes narrowed. Quistis was the first to break contact after a fair few seconds, frowning, and turning her gaze back to her friend. Seifer scoffed and took another huge bite, shifting his look to someplace else as well. His green eyes stopped on a poster, glued to one of the columns near the counters. His eyebrow cocked and he smirked. He turned back around to face Quistis, whom he caught staring back at him, but she swiftly looked away when he did. He scoffed and bit his lip, seemingly falling into thought for a few seconds.

- _ "Yo, Seifer man…"_ said Raijin, waving a hand in front the blond's face, who appeared to have zoned out _"You there?" _   

            Seifer jolted up slightly as Fujin snapped her fingers in front of him. He let out a small 'Hmmm' sound and got up. 

- _ "I'll see you in a bit." _he said, taking a sip from his coffee _"There's something I need to take care of…"_

            The silver-haired girl and her colossal friend stared at each other puzzled as their blond counterpart stormed out of the cafeteria, then shrugged and went on with their breakfast.  

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_                                                                                                                                             One week later…_

            Quistis made her way up to Xu's office after her evening lessons to hand in the weekly report on her work and her students' progress. She leaned with her back against the walls of the elevator, running her slender fingers through the numerous reports in her binder. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, she came face to face with an extremely excited Xu.

- _ "Guess what?!"_ she asked thrilled.

- _"What?" _asked Quistis, stepping inside.

- _"**Someone's **gonna give us the pleasure of becoming rid of our 'company' for the **whole** summer!" _Xu said grinning.

- _"Who?" _asked Quistis, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Your secret heartthrob, so I'll understand if you don't share my excitement…" _said Xu, winking at Quistis.

- _"And who in Hyne's name would that be?" _Quistis asked, placing both palms on her hips.

- _"Almasy." _replied the brunette, smirking.

- _"Oh dear, not again…" _said Quistis rolling her eyes, walking towards Xu's office.

            Xu chuckled and followed her friend inside, closing the door behind her. Quistis rested her binder on Xu's office and turned to look at her.

- _ "So where is he going?" _asked Quistis, curious.

- _"Didn't you hear about this military camp that Caraway of the Galbadian Army had been jabbering about?"_ said Xu.

- _"I've heard a few things, yes. What's it about?"_

- _"Basically, training men for the Galbadian army." _replied Xu.

- _"Seifer's joining the Galbadian army?" _asked Quistis, cocking an eyebrow.

- _"No. From what I heard-"_

- _"**Over**heard…" _Quistis corrected her friend.

- _"Tsk… Whatever…" _said Xu waving her hands in the air _"Anyway, I **heard** that he's only going for the training and just to keep busy with something during the summer…" _she added _"Unfortunately, he's coming back at fall…"_

- _"Well, good for him then."_ said Quistis nodding.

- _"He's in Cid's office right now."_

- _"Right."_

- _"He's leaving tomorrow."_

- _"Good."_

- _"*Pause* Well don't you want to say 'Goodbye' to him?" _Xu asked playfully.

- _"Really Xu…" _said Quistis, shaking her head in disbelief _"This is getting annoying…"_

            Xu grinned and went over to sit behind her desk, going through the reports Quistis had brought. The blonde sat on the armchair across Xu and began going over the papers briefly. A few minutes later, she heard the door of Cid's office opening nearby and the muffled sound of two male voices came to hear ears; Cid and Seifer. She heard the older man bid Seifer farewell and wish him good luck and seconds later, she saw through the glass surface on the back wall of Xu's office, the latter's tall frame making its way towards the elevator. As if sensing her eyes onto him, Seifer turned around briefly, catching her gaze. He shot her his infamous smirk and disappeared behind the elevator doors.

- _ "*Scoff* Good riddance…"_

- _"What?" _asked Xu, raising her head up from the papers in front of her.

- _"Nothing…" _mumbled Quistis, concentrating back on the reports.

            Xu shrugged and returned to her work **_'Damn… Did I say that out loud?' _**thought the blonde…

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                                                _*Chuckle* You're an open book Quisty… Xu got to you immediately!_

_                                                                                                            What do you mean 'got to me'? It's more than obvious that I'm still in a logical enough state of mind _

_                                                                                                            to avoid Seifer as I should have! _  __

_                                                            *Sigh* I can see this is going to take a loooot of work… _

_            Are you getting tired?_

_                                                                        No, it's alright… We still have a **many **things to see for today._

_                                                                                                                                                                                                'For today'?_

_                                                                                                Well, you don't expect me to show you the events of almost two years all in one 'sitting', do you?_

_                                    I suppose not… So when will we do this again?_

_                                                                                                                                    For now, just keep watching. When we're done for the day, we'll talk about it…_

_                                                Alright… What's next?_

_                                                                                                                        Let me see…There's your first courses with the next class of cadets for the exam. And then _

_                                                                                                                        there's Seifer's summer at the camp._

_                                                            Wait… Is that the summer when he met Rinoa?_

_            Most likely. Do you want to skip that?_

_                                                                                                                                                            No, I'm curious…_

_                                                            You know… I shouldn't be doing that… I should only be showing you your **own** past…_

_                        Relax… He's my boyfriend. I have the **right** to know…_

_                                                                                                                                                            Ahh… So now that it's convenient, he's your boyfriend?_

_                                                            The clock is ticking… We're wasting time…_

_                        I'll pretend not to notice the oh-so-**not**-subtle change of subject and I'll just move on…_

* * *

**A/N:** Ah the interaction between those two… I never grow tired of portraying it…

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Quistis begins to teach the next classes for the SeeD exam and a certain anti-social student catches her attention…_

_Meanwhile, Seifer arrives in Deling to spend the summer in **Caraway's** military camp…_


	9. Chapter 8: New Blood

**A/N:** OK, that was reeeeeeeeeeeally late… Sowwy… 

Before we go on though, I'd like to make two things clear for this story. 

First of all, I know it's supposed to be only the important things that Quistis would want to view, but sometimes I need to fill in the chapters, and it'd be darn monotonous if it was ALWAYS Seifer and Quistis, Seifer and Quistis… Don't get me wrong, I love those two as characters, but they're not the only ones in the story… 

On a second note, I'll have to apologize in advance for something you're going to notice in latter chapters. When I started writing this, I thought Seifer's birthday was on December 21st. My mistake, since I've been recently infirmed that it on the **22nd**. The problem is, that Quistis and Ellone will take three 'breaks' during the story, 'cause Ellone can't show her the whole thing in one day! The idea is to have it done by Christmas but seeing as they began on the **24th** according to my story, that would be impossible. So please be nice and forgive that little mistake of mine, mmmkay? :-) Just pretend Sei's birthday is on the 21st…

Finally, the student 'Feries Malsay' which gets a cameo in this chapter is from the story of a fellow writer **_Bleeding_****_ In Vein_**. I suggest you check out her story **_He's All That_**. It's a Seiftis which promises to give you plenty of laughs! All I'm going to say is this: Seifer turns into a woman under Ultimecia's final curse to avenge him…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After the night of the ball, where Quistis and Seifer come 'close' momentarily, Seifer decides to leave Garden for the summer and go train in General Caraway's military camp. Meanwhile, Quistis begins her first classes with the new SeeD candidates._

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                     Chapter 8: New Blood **

* * *

* * *

            A thick curtain of chocolate brown bangs fell in front of his eyes. He slightly pulled it away and regrouped his concentration to the pen before him. He wasn't fully aware of what he'd been trying to achieve for the past ten minutes, but nevertheless, he kept toying with it between his fingers. Another strand of hair slid, after being haphazardly tucked behind his ear, blocking his view once more. Steel blue eyes rolled and a grunt of vexation escaped thin lips, as the young boy abandoned his pointless game and leaned back on his chair. All of his classmates were obviously too high on sugar and serotonin, as none of them had ceased talking –or rather, **babbling**- for one single second ever since they'd entered the classroom. The brown-haired boy could never understand the reason for such vigor and vitality, as he himself rarely talked in multi-sentence phrases or felt the urge to drift around any room non-stop as if he wasn't capable of **_'…pinning my ass down to a damned chair…'_** the boy thought irritated. 

            Delete rarely. Try **never**.    

            Hyne, how he hated animated people. Hell, some times he wondered if he even liked people period. Well there wasn't much room to debate that, was there? He never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary to do so, he didn't have **any** friends **_'Hyne, even the greatest jackass of them all has friends…' _**the brown-haired boy thought, his mind trailing to a certain tall blond he much despised. Despised? No, not really… Once pushing away all negative feelings about arrogance and an oh-so-evident self-proclaimed disregard for authority, he respected Seifer Almasy. He respected him for his strength and confidence. And more than often wondered how people preferred to socialize with Almasy even, instead of him **_'*Scoff* I wouldn't want them to anyway… They'd all just drift apart sooner or later…'_**

            Anti-socialism and agoraphobia in all their glory ladies and gents…

            No, delete that too. They'd have to invent a whole new word to define his credos on mingling with other human beings. 

            The boy let out another grunt of frustration. He didn't like to just stand there, having nothing to do… It made him think too much. And thinking always led to realizations he hated to come across. His blue eyes fell on his watch. 8:58 a.m. His Instructor should be arriving any time now… He found himself more grateful than ever to be expecting a person to arrive. Thankfully, his anticipation didn't last long.

- _"Good morning, class."_

            A voice that mysteriously enough balanced between cold steel and feminine sweetness, succeeding in containing equal quantities of each, filled the atmosphere. The subtle sound of boots clattering against the concrete floor announced the arrival of their teacher. Many a gasps and sharp intakes of breaths accompanied the entrance of said teacher, a tall blonde girl, with startlingly blue eyes **_'Oh great… Quistis Trepe…' _**thought the brown-haired boy, internally cursing his bad luck. It's not that he had anything against the woman; hell, he barely even knew her, but he was aware of her little fan-club. From what he'd heard, they made every class a living hell by disrupting the lesson every two seconds, to try and win the pretty Instructor's attention. He suddenly felt incredible pity towards the girl that looked barely a day older than him; she probably was the one who suffered the most from the infamous 'Trepies'. The mental image of a club like that of his own, with people stalking him and following him on every step he took raced in mind. The idea alone made him shudder…

- _"My name is Quistis Trepe and I will be your Instructor for the next semester, until you are ready to take part in the written and field SeeD exam, held twice every Academic year." _Quistis spoke.

            The boy rolled his eyes; the very first victims of the girl's deadly charms had been spotted. A few boys that probably resented their luck a few minutes ago for arriving late and were hence obliged to occupy the front rows of desks, now looked thrilled beyond imagination. They were practically sitting on the very edge of their seats, jaws dropped, tongues almost hanging out of their mouths **_'Like damn puppies in heat…'_** The young boy felt disgusted. Quistis on the other hand, seemed completely un-phased by the whole situation **_'She must be used to all this… Or way full of herself…' _**the boy thought. 

- _"But we still have a lot of time before you need to worry about your exam. I'll proceed in calling out your names." _Quistis continued, picking up the list, resting so far on her desk.

            She adjusted her glasses and skimmed the list swiftly, then spoke.  

- _"Anderson, Simone." _the blonde said. A hand flew up in the air each time she phrased a name _"Cornell, Max. Dincht, Zell."_

- _"Yo!" _

            The whole class turned around and faced the classmate whose name had just been called. The brown-haired boy scoffed. He knew him; he was that blond hyper kid, with the gravity-defying hair. Quite annoyingly vigorous if you asked him… This would probably be because that boy, Zell Dincht, was everything **he** wasn't…

- _"Alright…" _Quistis continued, grinning slightly at Zell's salute. The 'oven-fresh' Trepies sighed and swooned _"Jodorowsky, Annette. Leonhart, Squall."_

            Upon hearing his name, the brown-haired boy timidly raised his hand. Quistis nodded at him and went on.

- _"Malsay, Feries. Moreno, Brian. Rogers, Steven. Scholes, Annya. Shearwind, Nida. Silveria, Drake…" _ 

            Squall buried his head in between his crossed arms on the desk, waiting for the 'roll call' to end. He yawned. His first day in his SeeD class and he was already bored…   

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            A cigarette butt fell onto the ground, to be extinguished moments later by a black military boot, adorned by a sliver of steel at the front. Seifer threw his backpack on his shoulder and walked down the narrow trail leading to the woody area before him. The plains of Galbadia were quite known for their scarcity of forests, a fact which made Seifer realize why this region had been chosen to 'host' Caraway's military camp. The blond SeeD raked a hand through his hair, feeling the first traces of moisture concentrating on the top of his forehead as he did so **_'Damn it's hot…' _**It was already mid-June and, as expected, the temperature had begun to rise steadily. Ergo, Seifer's tall trench coat-clad frame made him seem out of place, but he was never one to abandon his routines for the sake of compromise. And his attire would be no exception. A little heat never hurt anyone. However, he'd let himself believe that his pulled-up sleeves served style and not need… 

            As his steps brought him closer to the entrance, he could easily make out the two sentries standing under a kiosk by the gate, right underneath a noticeable enough label, brandishing the name of the camp. The two men that seemed to be about his age, were leaning wearily against the wall behind them, obviously bored stiff. Upon seeing Seifer approach though, they stood up straight and rested their elbows against the counter before them. Seifer walked up to the kiosk, nodding at the two guards.

- _"Morning…" _one of them mumbled unenthusiastically _"You here for the camp?"_

- _"Yeah, the name's Seifer Almasy." _replied Seifer, slipping his hands into his pockets.

            The other removed the cigarette, which was up to now clung upon his lips, resting it on the ashtray onto the counter. He grabbed a shabby-looking stack of papers and quickly skimmed through it.

- _"Right… Here you are…" _he said, once coming across Seifer's name _"Let's see some credentials."_ he added. 

            Seifer dug his hand in his coat pocket, retrieving his wallet. He opened it, slipping out his SeeD ID, as well as a verification form he'd received when applying for the camp. He slipped it across the counter to the guy before him. The latter picked them up, cocking an eyebrow.

- _"I didn't ask for the verification form…" _he said.

- _"But you were gonna, so I beat you to it…" _replied Seifer shrugging, a smug grin apparent on his lips.

- _"*Scoff* As if we didn't have enough wise-guys already…" _said the guard sarcastically, examining Seifer's ID and form. Seifer glared at him.

- _"Everything seems to be OK…" _said the other man who was leaning over his friend's shoulder _"Just sign here." _he added, handing Seifer the list and a pen, while returning his ID and form.

            The blond SeeD spotted the blank box next to his name, where he jotted down his first name's initial and then proceeded in filling in his last name with a calligraphic scribble. He handed the pen and list back to the sentry, who checked it for a couple of seconds, then tossed back onto the counter. Seifer picked up his ID and form from the counter, slipping them back to his pocket.

- _"Alright… Once inside, head for the Bestiary right to your left to get measured for your uniform." _said one of the guards, filling in a clearance form for Seifer _"The guy there will also tell you which tent you'll be sleeping in." _he finished, handing Seifer the form. 

- _"OK…" _said Seifer indifferently, grabbing the form and making his way to the gates nearby.

            The blond had just crossed the entrance of the camp, when he came face-to-face with a middle-aged man, dressed in a uniform. The –obviously- high-ranked official stopped before him, cocking an eyebrow, studying him thoroughly. Seifer was far from enjoying the man's sudden attention to him, but decided to swallow his discomfort and stand still; apparently, he was one of his superiors and a bad first impression wouldn't look good… **_'Then again…' _**he thought, a smirk spreading on his face. The man raised his head back up, a few strands of grayish-black hair falling back on his forehead. He gave Seifer a questioning look and spoke. 

- _"And who might you be?" _he asked, in a seemingly disapproving tone.

- _"Seifer Almasy." _Seifer replied apathetically.

- _"First of all, you will address me as General Caraway." _said the man sternly, his forehead creasing into a frown **_'Ah. The 'General'…' _**Seifer thought _"Second, you'll wipe that sneer off you face if you know what's good for you. Understood?"_

- _"Yes." _Seifer replied through gritted teeth.

- _"Yes, what?"_

- _"Yes General Caraway." _said Seifer, the vein in his temple threatening to pop any minute now.

- _"Sir." _said Caraway, a superior grin plastered on his face.

- _"Yes General Caraway, sir."_ Seifer repeated frowning.

- _"That's more like it. And for the record, your lack of salute is only excused due to the fact that you're new. You **did **arrive just now, right?" _Caraway asked, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Yes General Caraway." _Seifer replied wearily. The General eyed him austerely _"Sir." _Seifer added quickly.

- _"Next time we meet, I expect better behavior from you, Almasy. Dismissed." _said Caraway, making his way towards the gates.

            Seifer narrowed his eyes at the General's departing form **_'Fucking fascist son-of-a-bitch…' _**thought the tall blond, shaking his head in disbelief and turning his heel to head to the Bestiary **_'This place is crowded by jackasses with a fucking attitude problem…' _**Quite the ironic thought, coming from a guy who spent half his days in Garden inside the Disciplinary room. **And** the Head of the Disciplinary Committee to add more to the oxymoron Seifer Almasy was…  As he sauntered down the path, a roar coming from the entrance pierced his eardrums and made the head of every man in the vicinity turn around.

- _"SMOKING IN THE CAMP **AND** WHILE ON DUTY?!! KISS YOUR NEXT FOUR WEEKENDS GOODBYE MATTHEWS; YOU'VE GOT A DATE WITH THE JOHNS!"_

            Seifer's smirk crawled back up on his lips. His day wasn't completely ruined after all…  ****  

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"…so it's very important to learn how to use the elements to your favor in battle." _Quistis spoke.

            The blonde Instructor was sitting right atop her desk, legs crossed, explaining to her students the function of Elemental Attack and Defense. 

- _"The eight basic elements, as you should already know," _continued Quistis, getting up from the desk and walking towards the blackboard_ "Are Fire, Ice, Water, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Bio and Holy." _she scribbled with a piece of white chalk. She turned back to face her students _"When it comes to junctioning magic onto your Elemental Attack and Defense, you should first consider your enemy's weakness and strength. Then use that knowledge against it, by junctioning said magic onto your Stats, hence achieving high defense against your enemy's attack **and** causing a great amount of damage to it at the same time." _

            Upon noticing the bewildered expression on the majority of the faces in her class, Quistis grinned and explained further.

- _"For example, let's suppose that you're up against a Bomb in the Fire Cavern. Can someone tell me that monster's greatest weakness and strength, elemental-wise?" _she asked.

            Many hands flew up in the air. Quistis skimmed around the room quickly and decided to pick a very pretty blonde girl, with shiny jade eyes, whilst throwing a quick glimpse onto the list of names.

- _"Umm… Feries Malsay, right?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Yes, miss Trepe." _said the girl nodding.

- _"Alright, go ahead." _

- _"A Bomb is a fire monster, hence its greatest weakness is the Ice element, while its biggest strength is the Fire element." _replied the girl vigorously.

- _"Correct." _Quistis said approvingly _"And what would you say should happen if one tried to use Fire against a Bomb?" _

- _"Not only would they not cause damage, but they would replenish the same amount of HP that the Fire attack would cause to any other monster, without a weakness to Fire."_

- _"Excellent." _Quistis said smiling _"Back to our example then. If you had to come across Fire elemental monsters, you should junction the strongest Ice magic possible onto your Elemental Attack stats, while junctioning the strongest Fire magic onto your Defense. That way, when you attack the monster with your weapon, you will cause extra damage from the Ice spell. On the contrary, if the monster chooses to use a Fire attack against you, the damage cause to you will be greatly reduced."   _ 

            Right then, the school bell rang, indicating the end of the first period for the day. 

- _"Alright everyone, next time I want an essay handed in, about eight hundred words long, on Status Junctioning, similar to what we talked about today on Elementals. Before you leave there's something we need to go through very quickly." _Quistis said, as her students began gathering their things.

            Everyone assembled around the teacher's desk, listening closely to what Quistis was about to say.

- _"Our next class will be a practical one, so keep in mind that you'll be divided into teams of two. I'll be posting the pairs on the board outside the classroom in about an hour, so check back here to see who your partner is. That is all, dismissed." _the blonde Instructor finished.

            The teenagers quickly dispersed and left the classroom. Quistis gathered her binders and notebooks back to her black briefcase, removed her glasses and slowly stepped out of the classroom. Once outside though, she came face-to-face with a small group of quite eager-looking male cadets. The young Instructor smiled in an awkward manner and sighed inwardly **_'Oh boy…'_**

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            Seifer walked around the plethora of deep green tents, clutching his similarly colored uniform underneath his armpit, his back-pack hanging from his shoulder. He scanned the area, trying to spot the tent he was supposed to be residing in. After a few minutes' search, he came across the one he thought was the right one, and hunched slightly, stepping inside. Two other soldiers were already in there getting ready, both likely to be around his own age. 

- _"Hey there…" _said a blond guy, while putting on his white tank top _"What can I do ya for?" _

- _"My ID number is HST-23869. Is this were I'm supposed to be?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Yup. What's your name?" _asked the other guy, a raven-haired one.

- _"Seifer Almasy."_

- _"Pleased to meet you Seifer, I'm Scott Donovan." _replied the raven-haired man, nodding politely at Seifer.

- _"And I'm Josh Taylor." _said the blond, introducing himself as well.

- _"So it's us three in the tent?" _asked Seifer, dropping his bag onto a sleeping-bag which seemed vacant.

- _"Nope, there's one more guy. His n- Ah there he is…" _said Scott, as a brown-haired, slightly tanned guy entered the tent _"Seifer, this is Pete Calavera. Pete, this is Seifer Almasy."_

- _"Hey." _Seifer nodded at Pete.

- _"Nice to meet you. Hey, Caraway's gonna be giving his speech in about ten minutes or so, so get ready." _Pete informed them.

            Seifer began removing his clothes, slipping his uniform on. 

- _"The 'Blue Princess' is here again, ya know…" _Pete said meaningfully at some point, while watching the other three get ready.

- _"Oh man! I haven't seen her in a whole year! How's she lookin'?" _asked Scott grinning.

- _"Better than ever…"_ replied Pete, rubbing his chin.

- _"So what's she doing here this time?" _asked Josh, buttoning his shirt up.

- _"I dunno… I heard her babbling about something dealing with Timber or whatever and the General was all like pissed…" _Pete trailed off, shrugging.

- _"Who's this girl you're talking about?" _Seifer asked curiously, straightening out his tank top.

- _"Princess?" _asked Scott grinning.

- _"Yeah, whatever…" _replied Seifer.

- _"She's the General's daughter. She visits from time to time and let me tell you my friend… she **totally** compensates for the lack of females around here…" _said Pete.

- _"I see… So how come you know her? You haven't been here longer than I have…" _said Seifer.

- _"We were here last year too." _replied Josh _"Caraway's camp was just for Galbadians all these years, but now it's open for everyone."_

- _"So I'm guessing you're not Galbadian, right?" _asked Pete.

- _"No, I'm from Balamb Garden. A SeeD." _replied Seifer in a subtly smug way, aiming to make an impression.

- _"SeeD, eh? Cool…" _said Scott approvingly.

- _"OK ladies, we gotta hit the road… Caraway's waiting…" _Pete reminded them, getting up from his sleeping-bag, walking outside the tent.

            Seifer followed the three other soldiers towards the assembling area, his mind trying to settle with the idea that he'd have to hear another lecture from **_'…General Dickhead…'_**

****

****

****

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            Squall walked out of one of the classrooms on the 2nd floor. His classes for the very first day in actual SeeD training were over. The sulking brown-haired boy clutched his books to the side of his hip and glanced at his watch **_'Already 3 p.m.'_** He rubbed his rumbling stomach with one palm. He hadn't really felt hungry at lunch break before, but right now he was starving **_'Better go eat something at the cafeteria…' _**he thought, and made his way towards the elevator. Upon passing down the corridor, he heard the humming of students chatting outside one of the classrooms. He cast a fleeting look towards their direction and saw that they were gathered outside Miss Trepe's classroom **_'Oh that's right, she said she'd post out the partners for training…' _**The young boy decided to go check it out before heading down.

            He walked over to the announcement board and tried to squeeze his way through the students gathered there, receiving some rogue nudges and some 'Hellos' from various classmates. He reciprocated with the tiniest of nods and turned his gaze upon the panel, scanning it quickly to locate the list he was looking for. He spotted it and skimmed through the names, trying to find his own **_'…Jodorowsky Annette, Leonhart Sq- There it is. Leonhart Squall with…' _**Squall's eyes widened up for what was probably the second time in his life **_'…Zell Dincht?! Oh, no… Oh Hyne no…'_**

            Right on cue, he heard the annoyingly jovial voice of his supposed partner. Damn, he could literally **sense** the guy's overexcitement! He winced. Why did it have to be **him**? Sure, he wasn't thrilled with the idea of working with someone else in the first place, but since he had to go through with it, he'd wished for someone more… serious, dammit! Right now, he'd even trade for frickin' Almasy as a partner instead of that guy! OK, no, strike that. **Nothing** was worth having to put up with Almasy, not even-

- _"Awesome! I'm with you?!" _said Zell eagerly, laying a hard slap right on Squall's back.

            The brown-haired boy staggered a step forward and cringed. He'd changed his mind; he'd **definitely** go with Almasy instead…   

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            Seifer poked what he hoped was chicken with his fork and took a bite. He chewed hesitantly, creased his forehead, then swallowed **_'OK… Edible I guess…' _**he thought, and scooped up some rice, shoveling it down his throat. He was sitting among numerous other soldiers on their lunch break, eating and conversing vigorously. He got to know a fact or two about the men he was bunking with in the tent and got to meet a few more people. Apparently, many of them at the camp where quite familiar with each other, maybe even close friends, and were there on their second or third year at the camp. Seifer felt slightly left out, since most of the other guys were talking about common experiences. Then again, he wasn't there to make friends, so he couldn't care less… 

- _"…so the jackass caught me snoozing a bit on my patrol at night and he cuts me off of two weekends out!" _narrated some blond Seifer now recognized as Jim something _"Can you fuckin' believe it? Karen almost had my head when I saw her after almost half a month…" _he added, shaking his head in disbelief. 

- _"You think **that's** bad?"_ Scott piped in _"I heard that just today, Caraway saw Jake Matthews smoking while on duty and he's forbidding him to go on his leave for **four** consecutive weekends **and** he's having him clean the Johns for the whole month…"_

            Seifer grinned upon that particular recollection of the morning **_'Serves that moron right…' _**he thought.

- _"Oh, oh, oh! Here goes the Princess!" _exclaimed someone, almost choking on his bite.

- _"Hey Almasy, that's who we were talking about!" _Pete said, nudging Seifer on the ribs.

            The blond SeeD turned his gaze from his food and glanced towards the direction of Pete's extended arm. His eyes widened.

- _"See, see? Some piece of art, huh?" _said Pete mischievously, nodding.

            Seifer's lips cracked into a grin. He was laying eyes upon none other than the girl he'd met on his SeeD exam. Yes, there was no doubt it was her; long raven hair, chocolate brown eyes, a very pretty face and finally the familiar long blue duster… **_'I can't believe it… I didn't think I'd ever see her again…' _**the blond thought. The girl was talking to Caraway, her father apparently, and seemed to be having quite the heated conversation. She spat something at him that Seifer didn't catch and turned her heel. Thinking quickly, Seifer swallowed the bite lingering in his mouth for quite some time and got up.

- _"Hey man, where are you goin'?" _asked Josh bewildered.

- _"Be back in a sec…" _said Seifer and dashed away.   

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            **_'… "Don't know what you're dealing with"… Of course I know what I'm dealing with! What does he take me for, an idiot? I've thought this through… And I'm not gonna stick around with him and his… orders… and his… rules and… bah! I'm just gonna live my life the way I want to! I don't need him…' _**

            A raven-haired girl was striding down a path, clenching her fists tightly, her face frowning. She tucked a stray lock of jet-black hair behind her ear and made her way towards the gates of the military camp. She hated coming here. So why did she even bother? She knew that nothing she could do or say would make him change his opinion. He was just-

- _"Hey! Hey you! The girl with the duster!"_

            Puzzled, she stopped on her tracks and turned around. Who could be calling her now? Well, whoever it was, she was just going to get rid of him right away. She wasn't in the mood to-

            Her eyes widened in surprise. It was… **him**. The guy who'd saved her a couple of weeks ago in Timber. It was definitely him; straw blond hair, green narrow eyes, tall brawny frame… He'd now caught up with her, slightly out of breath and was smiling at her.

- _"Hi." _he said.

- _"Hi!" _she replied cheerfully _"What are you doing here?!"_ she asked, bemused.**__**

- _"Obviously training…" _he said casually _"Hey, you're the General's daughter?"****_

- _"Yeah…" _she replied nodding **_'…Unfortunately…' _**_"I'm Rinoa by the way." _she added smiling, extending her arm towards him. He shook it mildly.**__**

- _"Nice to meet you Rinoa Caraway. I'm-"****_

- _"Actually, it's Rinoa Heartilly."_  Rinoa corrected him. The blond gave her a puzzled look _"I've taken my mother's maiden name." _she explained.**__**

- _"Ah, I see…" _he said nodding.**__**

- _"And you are?"****_

- _"Seifer. Seifer Almasy."_replied Seifer.**__**

- _"Nice to meet you too Seifer…" _said Rinoa, smiling.**__**

- _"So uhh… do you come here often?" _he asked **_'No.' _**thought Rinoa.**__**

- _"Yeah. I come here to see my dad." _she lied.**__**

- _"Cool… Well… I suppose I'll see you around again sometime…" _Seifer said, giving her what he reserved as his most charming smile.**__**

- _"Sure. I look forward to it." _Rinoa blurted out, staring into his eyes **_'Oh dear… Did I just say that out loud?'_**

- _"I bet you are. Gotta go now. See ya…"_ said Seifer smirking, turning his heel.**__**

            Rinoa was left gawking at him while he walked away, grinning goofily. Suddenly, her expression changed; she frowned **_'What does he mean 'I BET you are?!'_**_ ****_

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**A/N:** OK, there's something you need to know *sigh* The next chapter will… *gulp* reek of Seifnoa. There, I said it. Now **before** all you Seiftis fans go on and prepare to lynch me, hear me out. I'm a huge Seiftis fan myself. I have **no** intention of keeping Seifer with Rinoa and that's pretty darn obvious from the events of the future. But I **have** to be impartial. I can't just show favorism to Quistis, because I like her better as a female character. And you can all certainly understand that Seifer's not the type of guy to go all bummed because Quis rejected him and moan over it the whole summer. As I said right above I want to be impartial and this means covering all sorts of aspects of the story. So there. And before I get any criticism on that, at least wait to read the chapter first… 

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Seifer's summer in the camp and my version of his relationship with Rinoa_


	10. Chapter 9: Summer in Deling

**A/N:** Hey guys. What's up?

This is the infamous Seifnoa chapter. I'm glad many of you understood that even though this is a Seiftis, I have to include this part as well. But I promise, this will be the last of Seifer-Rinoa interaction you'll see (in a romantic level that is). I'm only writing one chapter to describe their three month-long relationship. I'll probably just include one small scene in the next chapter as well, when Seifer's off to return to Balamb. But that will be all.  

On a last note, the damn site has been fucking up my format for many chapters now. Sorry it all seems so 'cramped up', but it ain't my fault…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Quistis meets her new class of students, while Seifer arrives in the military camp for his training. There, he sees the girl he met during his SeeD exam as well, who turns out to be none other than Caraway's daughter, Rinoa Heartilly (hyphen Caraway). _

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                                                                                                                  **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                  By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                             Chapter 9: Summer in Deling **

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_                                                                                                                                             A few days later…_

            Seifer disregarded the slightly chilly morning breeze that blew through the camp, and walked out of his tent in his deep green military pants and white tank top. His hair was styled into a 'lovely' just-out-of-bed look, as fair spikes pointed into all different kinds of angles. He slipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved his pack of cigarettes, lighting one. He inhaled the toxic smoke, which was strangely relieving for his lungs, and stretched his arms. He rubbed the back of his hair and lazily walked around the empty camp. Although it was already 0730 hours, no-one was up, since they were allowed to sleep a bit in on Sundays. 

            Seifer made his way over to the empty wooden benches a bit farther away from the lunch area. He was obviously looking for a 'private' spot to sit and relax, to enjoy a cigarette or two; if Caraway or any other official ever caught him with these, he'd be out of the camp in a matter of a second. However, his attempts for privacy failed, as he found an all too familiar brunette sitting under one of the benches, enjoying the gratuitous shade the trees right above provided. She had her back turned towards him and seemed to be reading a book. 

            The tall blond smirked at the sight of her and raised an eyebrow. He silently made his way towards that certain bench, as a mischievous grin spread all over his face. Rinoa was too engrossed into her reading to notice him. Add the fact that Seifer kept extremely quiet and you'll see why he managed to scare her out of her mind… He had just reached the bench, when he slowly leaned next to her neck and screamed 'Boo' into her ear.

            The miniscule brunette let out a squeal and jumped up in fear, making her book fly many feet away from her lap. She clutched her racing heart and breathed fast and heavily as she tried to regain composure after Seifer's sneaking-up. The blond SeeD had doubled up in laughter at her reactions and was now in the process of wiping his teary eyes. Rinoa eyed him poisonously, narrowing her eyes.

- _"What the hell were you thinking?!" _she yelled _"You scared the life out of me!"_

- _"You…*Chuckle* shoulda… seen… *Snort* the look on your face!" _said Seifer, still laughing like a maniac.

- _"*Groan* I'm outta here…" _said Rinoa, getting up from the bench.

- _"Wait, wait…" _said Seifer, his laughter slowly dying down, as he grabbed her from the arm _"I could use some company…"_

- _"Do you usually like to scare your 'company' to death?" _asked the girl, crossing her arms.

- _"Geez… It was just a joke…" _said Seifer, bending down to grab her book from the grass _"Here…" _he said, handing it to her.

- _"Thank you." _she mumbled in reply, snatching the book from his hands, going back to her seat on the bench. 

            Seifer sighed, trying to catch his breath back, now that he'd stopped laughing and walked over next to her. He threw his tall frame onto the bench, resting his long legs on top of one another and he lit another cigarette. Next to him, Rinoa was sitting cross-legged onto the wooden bench, looking at him intently.

- _"Those things are gonna kill you, you know…" _she said matter-of-factly.

- _"Who said I wanna live long?" _asked Seifer looking at her, exhaling smoke.

- _"That's like **the** oldest line in the book!" _said Rinoa grinning.

- _"Yeah, but it always works…" _said Seifer shrugging. Rinoa shook her head in disbelief. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke.

- _"How come you're up so early?" _she asked. Seifer pointed at his cigarette.

- _"How come **you're** here so early?" _he asked.

- _"I spent the night here." _she replied _"And I just happened to wake up early, so I came out for a walk."_

- _"I see…" _said Seifer, blowing small circlets of smoke.

            Silence engulfed the duet again. And Rinoa was the one to break it… again.

- _"So what made you decide to spend your summer here in the camp?" _she asked.

- _"The training I guess…" _replied the blond, shrugging _"And I wanted a change of an environment."_

- _"I see… You're from Balamb right?"_

- _"Yup."_

- _"A SeeD."_

- _"Almost two weeks fresh." _he replied.

- _"And you… like this?" _she asked, kind of frowning.

- _"Like what?" _he asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Being a… mercenary." _said Rinoa, maintaining the same expression.

- _"What's wrong with it?" _asked Seifer.

- _"I didn't say there's something wrong with it…" _said Rinoa shrugging.

- _"No, you only spoke about it the way you'd speak about something that completely and utterly **disgusts** you…"_ he retorted sarcastically.

- _"It's just that," _began the brunette, pulling her jet-black locks aside _"Mercenaries lead a life obeying orders… And aside from me not supporting the whole idea, it seems totally **not** you…" _

- _"You're right about one thing… I don't like obeying orders… But I like to fight." _replied Seifer.

- _"And is that all you want to do in your life? Fight?" _she asked.

- _"If I'm not mistaken, I saw you fighting as well back in Timber…" _he said raising an eyebrow.

- _"Well yeah, but for the liberation of Timber. Mercenaries don't always fight for a good cause…" _Rinoa said. 

- _"Maybe not," _said Seifer throwing his cigarette butt on the grass _"But why should I tell **you** what I want to do in my life anyway?" _he asked.

- _"Because I'm willing to listen." _she replied casually, looking at him.

            Seifer was caught off guard by her response. No-one had ever shown an interest on what his dreams and aspirations were. Not even Fujin and Raijin. He looked deep onto the chocolate brown eyes of the girl before him and found a look of sincerity **_'Might as well give it a shot…' _**he thought, smiling inwardly.

- _"Alright then…" _he said, lighting another cigarette _"You wanna hear about my 'romantic dream'?" _he asked grinning.

- _"Sure…" _she said, smiling at him.

- _"What I **really** want to do, is become… a Knight." _he replied.

- _"Why?" _she asked, tilting her head to one side.

- _"Because it's the most noble thing to do, protecting someone in need." _he replied. 

            Rinoa looked at him, kind of puzzled at first. Then she smiled warmly at him.

- _"That's really something…" _she said.

- _"And what about you?" _asked Seifer, blowing a small cloud of smoke to the side, away from her face.

- _"You could say that I'm a fighter as well…" _she replied _"I'm trying to help a rebel group from Timber regain freedom for their city. I'm thinking of joining them. I'm practically a member, but I haven't made it official yet… "_

- _"Which group?" _asked Seifer raising an eyebrow.

- _"They're called the '__Forest__ Owls'. You saw them. They were the ones I was with, the day of your exam." _

Seifer took a moment to remember the people Rinoa was talking about. A flashback of a bunch of klutzy kids who were trying –and failing- to fight came in mind immediately. Seifer tried to suppress a grin that threatened to spread wide across his face. He didn't make it…

- _"What?" _said Rinoa frowning, looking at his expression.

- _"Nothing…" _said Seifer looking away, as a snort escaped his mouth.

- _"What's so funny?" _asked the brunette, crossing her arms, her face angered.

- _"Nothing, really…" _said Seifer, but this time he broke down into laughter.

- _"You're so mean!" _shouted Rinoa _"I hear all about **your** dream and when I tell you about mine, you laugh!" _she added, getting up.

- _"Sorry, it's just-" _he said chuckling, getting up as well.

- _"MEANY!" _yelled the miniscule girl and strode off.

            Seifer ran after her, still laughing. 

- _"Aw c'mon! Don't leave!" _he said between chuckles.

- _"Let me go!" _shouted Rinoa as he grabbed her arm.

- _"Stop yelling!" _he said, pulling her close to him _"You'll wake everyone up!"_

- _"If you don't let go, I'll scream for help and then I'll **really** wake everyone up!" _she hissed.

- _"Then I guess I'll have to shut you up…" _said Seifer.

            Smirking cockily, the blond SeeD held the girl's wrists and pressed his lips down on hers hard. Rinoa's eyes shot wide open in surprise at first. Seifer was holding her firmly, not letting her go, while fiercely doing his best to stick his tongue down her throat and to her bowels. Rinoa didn't kiss him back, just stood there, feeling her knees about to abandon her. Seifer's kiss slowly became milder, until he eventually pulled away. Rinoa was staring into his emerald green eyes, not able to phrase a single word. Seifer cocked an eyebrow and smiled smugly at her expression. 

            The look on his face snapped Rinoa back to reality, making her shake herself mentally. Her facial features quickly turned into a frown and she pushed Seifer back, landing a hard slap on his left cheek. Without saying a word, she dashed away and soon disappeared from sight. Seifer rubbed his slightly sore red cheek and grinned **_'Oh yeah… She wants me bad…' _**

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            Seifer was resting his cheek on his balled fist in boredom. He had been stirring the contents of the bowl before him tediously for the past ten minutes. It was now noon and all the soldiers were gathered in the lunch area, silently having their meal **_'Or at least what the cook THINKS is a meal…' _**thought Seifer, still stirring his… well… 'soup' bowl with the spoon. He got hold of a spoonful of the liquid inside the bowl and let it drip back down to its container.

- _"This… 'stuff', is completely inedible!" _said a disgusted Scott, sitting next to Seifer, pushing his bowl away.

- _"No shit Sherlock…" _mumbled Seifer, throwing his spoon on the bowl, resting his chin on his palm.

- _"I guess we're all 'full' then…" _said another soldier, refusing to swallow any more 'soup' as well.

- _"I was thinking…" _said Josh, making all eyes turn to him _"We haven't seen Caraway's daughter for quite some time now, huh?"_

            Seifer groaned at his remark. He'd noticed alright… Where the hell was she? Had that kiss freaked her out **that** much? It had been three days since it had happened and Rinoa had simply disappeared from the face of the earth…

- _"Yeah… Come to think of it… Wonder what that chick's up to…" _said Pete.

- _"Who knows? Or cares?" _Seifer lied shrugging, getting up from the table.

- _"Where are you goin' man?" _asked someone.

            Seifer looked around cautiously, then made a gesture with his hand, mimicking 'smoking'. The other soldier nodded and went back to his 'food'. The tall blond made his way to his now favorite spot in the camp, the benches under the shade of the trees. He sat down and lit a cigarette. Just when he was about to exhale the smoke from his long drag, a familiar voice behind him made him jump up.

- _"Didn't I tell you those things would kill you?" _

            Seifer coughed loudly, swiftly throwing the cigarette down, turning around to see who it was. He came face to face with Rinoa, in her usual blue attire, arms crossed and face amused from his startling. 

- _"Dammit!" _he swore, running a hand through his fair hair _"I thought it was an official or something…"_

- _"I guess we're even now…" _she said laughing and proceeded in turning her heel, not saying another word to him.

            Seifer took a moment to register what had happened, then ran after her. He came across the lunch area, scouting around for a trace of her. She was nowhere around there. Cursing, Seifer made his way to his tent. Walking back there, he caught glimpse of the tip of a light-blue duster from Caraway's tent **_'The General's at lunch now… And so is just about everyone…' _**he thought, grinning devilishly. He strode down to the General's tent and pulled the fabric aside, entering it.

            Inside, he found, a very startled to his appearance, Rinoa. He walked over to her smirking, amused at the sight of her awkwardness and surprise.

- _"What are you doing here?!" _she whispered _"Get out!"_

- _"Not until we get a few things straight…" _he said, advancing on her.

- _"I'm still mad at you!" _said Rinoa, pointing a threatening finger at him.

- _"What for?" _he asked, playing stupid.

- _"'What for'?!" _said Rinoa exasperated _"Dare you ask?! You insulted me and the dream I stupidly confessed to you!"_

- _"Well you gotta admit that they're kinda lame for a rebel group…" _he said, chuckling.

- _"I don't believe you!" _said Rinoa, trying to leave again.

            Seifer grabbed her from the waist, preventing her from moving.

- _"I never made fun of your dream," _he said sighing _"All I'm saying is that you could have made a better choice to fulfill it…" _he added, grinning.

- _"Stop touching me!" _she hissed.

- _"Why?" _he asked leaning a bit closer _"Don't you like it?"_

Rinoa felt her knees go weak once more, as Seifer's eyes locked with hers **_'Damn him…'_** she thought Rinoa **_'I should be punching him SO hard right now… but…'_**

- _"You didn't answer my question…" _Seifer said huskily, interrupting her thoughts.

- _"I… I dunno…" _mumbled Rinoa, looking down.

- _"Need any help to decide?" _he asked in the same manner.

            Rinoa looked up at him again. She didn't answer, but Seifer wasn't the kind of guy who needed permission to do what he wanted to. Without waiting for her response, he leaned in and brushed his lips upon hers once again. It wasn't as forceful as the previous time, although just as deep. Rinoa let out a small whimper-slash-moan and decided to stop playing 'hard to get'. Seifer's lips upturned a bit as he felt her kissing him back. He sensed her fingers slide within his blond spikes, messing with them. He pulled her closer from the waist, moving a hand up her back. Seifer eventually pulled back slowly, looking at her with a smug expression on his face. He watched her slowly part her eyelids, her brown orbs meeting with his.

- _"I…I gotta go now…" _she whispered shyly.

- _"Will you come back tomorrow?" _he asked.

            Rinoa nodded, making him smile. He leaned in once again and gave her a light peck. Rinoa smiled and reluctantly left the tent, turning back to look at him once more, before disappearing again. Seifer grinned and ran a hand through his hair. He zoned out in his thoughts for a moment, then realized where he'd been standing all this time. He gave himself a slap on the forehead and rushed out of Caraway's tent, before he came back and found him inside. 

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            As of the following day, Rinoa and Seifer became a couple. They met up whenever Rinoa 'visited her father' at the camp –which was beginning to be quite often by the way- or during Seifer's weekends out. Rinoa even introduced him to her dog, Angelo. And the damned mutt never lost a chance to bare his teeth and growl at him. The moment he first saw Angelo do that, a thought crossed his mind. It was a common belief that animals could sense evil… He'd scoffed at that. To him he'd always be that stupid dog that kept trying to rip his pants apart every time he got a chance to snog with Rinoa. And to Angelo, he probably was the jerk who was 'stealing' his mistress away. But thankfully, when the dog wasn't around, the couple had their good moments… They talked about everything. About Rinoa's constant quarrels with her father, about her mother's sudden and untimely death, about her dreams to liberate Timber one day with her comrades. One the other hand, Seifer talked to her about his entire life spent in Garden, about his loss of memories concerning his childhood, his dream of becoming a Knight and protecting those in need. 

            Seifer's incredibly over-inflated confidence and self-esteem seemed to finally vent out into something good for once. He made Rinoa feel like she could do anything if she trusted herself and her potential. She sometimes described it as the feeling that she could conquer the world. Not having been involved into another relationship in the past, Rinoa found herself completely enamored by the blond SeeD. She loved his poise, his wit and even his childish arrogance seemed charming once she'd gotten to know him. 

            On his side, Seifer was for the first time in his life involved with a girl who actually cared for what he was and what he had to say. Sometimes he felt like he couldn't be asking for anything more; Rinoa was beautiful, intelligent, she had a heart big enough to embrace the whole world, her positive spirit always made his day and her warm smile could make the darkest thoughts in his mind melt away in an instant. However, he always felt like something was missing. Something just didn't 'click' with him. And as the time passed, he eventually figured it out. No matter how desperately Rinoa tried to proclaim her independence and her ability to make it on her own, she just couldn't persuade him that she'd be able to make it alone even in a frickin' mall. Yes, she was sweet, innocent, incredibly nice, but she tended to depend on others too much. And Seifer hated that. He wanted to be with someone who wasn't reliant to him. He wanted someone who'd even have the nerve to boss **him** around. And Rinoa certainly wasn't that person. He liked her. He liked her a **lot**, hence he couldn't bring himself to let her go just because of that. He only hoped that when the time came for him to leave, she'd understand and allow them both to keep that summer like a really great memory of their youth…        

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            Seifer and Rinoa were sitting under a tree in Timber's forest, right by Obel Lake. Angelo was snoozing a few feet away from them, enjoying the coolness and the shadow of the trees. Seifer had his back resting against the trunk of the tree, while Rinoa sat between his spread open legs, resting her back on his chest. She was reading a book of poetry to him, although she doubted he'd be hearing even half of what she said. And she was right; Seifer was pretending to be hearing her, but was lost within his thoughts. Suddenly, Rinoa stopped reading and turned around to look at him. She saw him staring at the lake blankly, not even noticing that she wasn't speaking anymore.

- _"You haven't listened to a single word, have you?"_ she asked with an eyebrow raised, slightly grinning.

- _"Huh? What?" _said Seifer, turning over to look at her.

- _"If it bored you, you could have said so…"_ she said, closing the book shut.

- _"Sorry… I just zoned out a bit…" _he said, rubbing the back of his hair.

            Rinoa shook her head in disbelief and tried to get up, but Seifer held her down from the waist.

- _"Where do you think you're going?" _he asked playfully.

- _"I wanted to go sit by the lake." _she replied.

- _"I'll give you two options…" _said Seifer holding her face in both hands _"You can either sit here with me, or…"_

            He didn't complete his sentence, as he leaned in kissing her. Rinoa pulled back smiling.

- _"Or…?" _she asked.

- _"Do you even need to hear the second option?!" _Seifer said in mock-anger _"I'm offering you my voluptuous lips here! And more…" _he said raising an eyebrow.

            Rinoa went into a fit of giggles, as Seifer kissed her again. Soon the kiss became very deep and without realizing it, Rinoa found herself being laid on the grass. Seifer rested on top of her and was now placing kisses on her neck, slowly trailing his way downwards. Rinoa entangled her fingers on his hair, closing her eyes in pleasure. She felt Seifer's hands traveling all over her body, lustily slithering underneath her clothes. She took a sharp intake of breath, making Seifer stop momentarily. He raised his head and looked at her, trying to read her expression. Rinoa bit her bottom lip and held his cheek in her palm. Seifer interpreted this as a good sign, taking his cue to move on.

            Within moments, their clothes were beginning to abandon their bodies, finding themselves lying discarded on the grass. Rinoa was lost in the moment, only to be abruptly brought back to earth by the sound of Seifer's pants getting unzipped. Realization dawned on her; was all this happening too fast? She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fire slowly kindling in her insides and pulled back, gently pushing Seifer's chest.

- _"What's wrong?" _he asked.

- _"It's just…" _she mumbled.

- _"Do you want me to stop?" _

- _"I… I…" _she stammered_ "N-no… Go on…"_ she said eventually, pulling him into another kiss.

            Seifer needn't be told twice and soon pulled away the rest of his clothing. He felt Rinoa slightly bite his lip as he entered her and drew back. 

- _"Am I hurting you?" _he asked. Rinoa shook her head in response, giving him the 'OK' to continue.

            She closed her eyes once again, allowing herself to enjoy what was happening. She really liked Seifer. They'd been together for almost two months now and she found herself falling for him harder and harder with each passing day. She had really wanted this to happen; however, she couldn't help but have a few second thoughts about it. What if he didn't feel the same way? What if this didn't mean as much to him as it did to her? Did she really want her first time to mean nothing to the one she was sharing it with? **_'I guess it's too late to be considering that now…' _**she thought. She cursed herself inwardly for the way she always permitted her impulses guide her, but chose to allow herself to take pleasure in the moment and recoil from any thought.

            One of the individualities of being so young is that you try to live life as passionately as possible. You lust for experience and literally suck the chances given to you dry, in your desperate attempt to quench that thirst which leaves little room for logic. You decide to live by the saying 'seize the day' and gratuitously shun away your taboos and boundaries with no remorse whatsoever.

            Both Seifer and Rinoa were just concentrating in living the opportunity presented to them right now to the fullest, each in their own way. She was searching for love and affection, while he merely sought another 'adventure'. To her, it meant everything. To him, it meant very little. She'd found someone who made her feel unique and confident. He'd found someone who cared for him and was willing to share this experience with him. Two different worlds, colliding in a moment of impulse and desire. It made you wonder how much something like this was meant to last…        

            Seifer eventually fell heavy on Rinoa's chest, gently sliding out of her. Rinoa sighed deeply and kissed his sweaty forehead, playing with his hair. Seifer gave her a peck on the lips and slowly stood up. He pulled his pants back up, zipped them shut and adjusted his grey trench coat. Rinoa followed suit in getting dressed again and watched Seifer sit back down against the tree trunk, lighting a cigarette. She moved close to him, hugging him from the waist, resting her head on his chest. Seifer put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a peck on the tip of the head. He turned his head towards the lake, watching the ripples, created from a small frog that had jumped in the water, spread. 

            Rinoa looked up at him, but didn't find him returning her gaze. She bit her lip slightly and drew some courage to blurt out what she'd been meaning to say for quite some time now.

- _"I love you…" _she said, looking at him eagerly. 

            Seifer turned his head to look at her and gave her a weak smile. Immediately, he turned his eyes back to the lake. Rinoa felt disappointment and slight anger welling up inside her.

- _"That wasn't_ _exactly the reaction I expected…"_ she said. 

- _"Excuse me?" _asked Seifer, turning back to look at her. 

- _"I said I didn't expect **that **reaction…" _she repeated.

- _"Listen Rinoa…" _said Seifer exhaling a small cloud of smoke _"I really like you, but let's not take things so far…"_

- _"What do you mean?" _she asked frowning, slightly pulling away.

- _"I mean that such a statement is a really heavy thing to say.  As I just told you, I like you and want to be with you, but I can't say that I love you. I just don't feel it… Would you prefer I lied to you about it?" _he asked. 

- _"So this was just sex for you?" _she asked crossing her arms.

- _"No…" _he said wearily _"I never said I feel nothing about you. Just not love."_

            Rinoa pulled away from him, looking down. She cradled her bent knees with her arms, sighing deeply.

- _"Can you take me to the station? I wanna go home…" _she said.

- _"Don't get mad…" _said Seifer sighing.

- _"I'm not mad… I just wanna go home…" _she replied.

- _"Rinoa…" _said Seifer putting a finger under her chin, making her look at him _"I **still** want to be with you…"_

Rinoa's eyes rested on him for quite some time and slowly, her lips upturned into a weak smile as she leaned in and kissed him.

- _"And I still need to go home now…" _she said when they broke apart.

- _"Alright…"_ said Seifer, getting up.

            He put his arm around Rinoa's shoulder as they made their way back to the city. Inside the brunette's chest, a glint of hope was beginning to arise. She wasn't going to give up easily; she never did. A single thought roamed within the walls of her mind_ **'I'm gonna make you love me Seifer Almasy…' **_she thought… 

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            Seifer walked down the path to the gates of the camp dressed in his usual attire, carrying a backpack with all his things gathered inside. Summer had just reached an end and so had his training in General Caraway's military camp. He was talking to some of the people he'd become familiar with there, as they were all on their way out. Most of them were, like Seifer, going to return home for the rest of the season, while some had decided to join the Galbadian army after their time there. The small group of young men made their way to the entrance of the camp, where they all said their good-byes. As Seifer shook hands with some of his fellow soldiers, he caught glimpse of a pretty brunette waiting for him outside. Seifer smiled at her and turned back to the others.

- _"Well, I gotta go guys. Maybe I'll see some of you again…" _he said, although he highly doubted it.

            A few of them noticed Rinoa standing many feet away and immediately got the point.

- _"Ahh… So **that's** why we'd seen so much of Miss Caraway this summer…" _Josh said, nudging Seifer on the ribs.

- _"Have fun…" _said Pete, winking at him.

            Seifer grinned and took off, slightly waving at them. He approached Rinoa, slid his arm through her waist and gave her a kiss. The couple slowly walked away from the camp, towards the city near-by.

- _"So… I'm free now. What do you wanna do?" _asked Seifer smiling at her.

- _"I was thinking we could go for a walk in the city." _replied Rinoa _"And then if you want to, we can go over to my place. You've never seen my house."_

- _"Sure, sounds nice…" _said Seifer _"Hey," _he added after a while, looking at Rinoa mischievously _"What do you say we skip the walk?"_  

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            A big black limousine pulled over by the entrance of an impressive mansion. The driver swiftly got out and walked to the back door, opening it. General Caraway stepped out, adjusting his uniform beret. He gave the driver a plain nod and walked towards the front door of his house. Two soldiers hurried up behind him and walked in front to open the doors for him. The General gave them a nod, as they saluted him and walked inside his house.

            He closed the door behind him, taking his beret off. He laid it upon the counter by the door and walked inside the living room. He heard some indistinct noise coming from upstairs **_'Rinoa's obviously home…' _**he thought and walked towards the wooden stairway. He went up all the stairs and strode down the hallway, opening the door to his daughter's room.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The two soldiers who had brought General Caraway were standing by the front door, bored out of their minds. One of them sighed deeply and leaned his back against the door.

- _"What time is it?" _he asked the other one.

- _"About… __5:40__…" _the soldier replied, yawning.

- _"When's our shift over?" _asked the first one.

- _"In three hours and twenty minutes."_ said the second, giving his friend a really tired look.

- _"Man, I'm bored…" _said the first one yawning as well.

            Suddenly, the sound of gunshot came tumultuous from inside the mansion. The two soldiers jumped up and looked at each other. Right then, a yell belonging to General Caraway echoed among the walls, sending shivers down the two soldiers' spines.

- _"ALMASYYYY!!!!!!" _

            The soldiers barged inside the house, loading their shotguns. They ran inside the living room and up the stairway. The door of Rinoa's room burst open and out came a terrified looking blond boy, only half-dressed. He was wearing his pants and trench coat, while struggling to put his boots on. His vest and backpack were being tightly held in one hand as he ran down the corridor. He came face to face with the two soldiers on the top of the stairs, bumping hard onto them. Startled, the two men didn't even try to stop him and Seifer found himself losing his balance and rolling down the stairs. The soldiers winced at the sight, but then turned their heads over to the door of the room that boy had come out from. General Caraway rushed outside, looking furious. He was holding his gun in one hand, while pulling back the grayish-black strands of hair that fell on his face with the other. He strode towards the stairway to the two utterly surprised soldiers.

            Meanwhile, Seifer was trying to get up from the floor, groaning in pain. The General reached the top of the stairway, breathing heavily like a mad bull.

- _"COME BACK HERE, YOU **COWARD**!" _he roared.

            Seifer almost tripped on his desperate attempt to get out. Caraway began running down the stairs, while the two soldiers felt sorry for that blond boy's fate. Suddenly, Rinoa ran out of her room, dressed in her robe. The two men's eyes shot wide open as the girl ran past them towards the stairway. She found her father mid-way down the stairs.

- _"Daddy, NO! Let him go!" _she shouted.

            The General ignored her and went on chasing poor Seifer. The blond SeeD was now already outside the mansion, running as fast as he could, trying not to get himself killed by Rinoa's father. He was almost at the Front Gate, when he heard Rinoa calling him from her window.

- _"Seifer!" _she shouted. The blond turned around swiftly, locating Rinoa's voice from a window on the second floor.

- _"I'll… I'll call you!" _he shouted back, not knowing what else to say.

- _"YOU'LL **CALL** HER?!" _yelled Caraway who had just reached the door.

            Seifer let out a whimper and skedaddled out of the mansion, as the General loaded his gun and shot once more in the air…

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                                                            _Oh my god, I don't think I've laughed more in my entire LIFE!_

_                                                                                                                                                You're so mean Quisty! He could have gotten seriously hurt!_

_                        Oh come on! Don't tell me you didn't even crack a grin watching this!_

_                                                                                                                        Fine… *Snort* So I did…_

_                                                                                                                                                            Ahh… That was fun… So what's next?_

_                                    Well, Seifer returns to Garden, the summer's over._

_                                                                                                                                    OK, let's see it…_

* * *

**A/N: **OK, that last scene was supposed to come out funny, so that you wouldn't **totally **hate me for this Seifnoa chapter ^_~ 

So buh-bye Rinoa and let's get back with the Seiftisness, shall we?

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Seifer returns to Garden and things get back on track… For the time being… _

_Meanwhile, Squall takes his SeeD exam._


	11. Chapter 10: Return

**A/N:** Hey guys, what up?

Had a good weekend? Mine was fairly alright, since this semester is much more 'loose', so I get more time to relax, go out and write of course. And here's the next chapter of this story… Oh and to those of you who read my other one as well, note that the updates might be slightly belated from now on. So just this one update for today.

On the subject of Rinoa and Seifer I have a small comment to make.  I don't know how you guys 'saw' the fact that they slept together, but I was trying to show how much Rinoa liked-slash-loved Seifer at that time, in order to give him her virginity. I didn't want it to seem like just sleeping around for her. On the other hand, Seifer was the prick of the whole case :-p 'cause it didn't really mean all that much to him. Anyway, I just wanted to clear that out.

For this chapter I'd like to point out a couple of things. Seifer returns to Garden and I thought it wouldn't be much interesting to write about his missions and Squall's training as a SeeD. So right after Seifer's return, I 'jump' over to Squall's SeeD exam. I hope you won't mind. I just want to get over with the stuff you already know and move on. At some parts I've used the original dialogue from the game. On a last note, in this installment, I deal quite a bit with GFs. I present for the first time in this story the element of communication between the GF and the summoner, something I've wanted to insert in a story for quite some time. Moreover, I give my own approach on how GFs are originally summoned and 'stored', as it's never really explained in the game.

That's all.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer meets Rinoa at Caraway's camp and they become an item throughout the summer. On the day of Seifer's release from the camp, an 'unfortunate' event takes place between him, Rinoa and Rinoa's father…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                          ~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                            Chapter 10: Return **

* * *

* * *

            Seifer walked down the big Main Hall of the Deling City train station, carrying his bag on one shoulder, the long trench coat lying haphazardly on top of it, while taking in long drags of smoke through his lungs with the cigarette on his hand. He arrived at the boarding area and settled his bag down on the floor, next to a small bench. He scouted the area around him looking for someone, then glanced down at his watch. 9:48 a.m. His train would be leaving in a bit more than ten minutes **_'Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago… And I thought _I** **_was late…' _**the tall blond thought. He put out his cigarette on a trash bin close by and kneeled down to his bag to retrieve his ticket. He got back up, slipping the piece of paper into the back pocket of his jeans. As soon as he turned around, he only had time to hear the stomping sound of footsteps and see a blur of black and blue before he fell back on the bench, Rinoa in his arms.

- _"I'm so sorry I'm late!" _she exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

            Seifer grinned at her and ran a hand through her hair, giving her a peck on the lips. Rinoa adjusted the straps of her baby blue top and slid off Seifer's lap and onto the bench. She held his hand gingerly and smiled warmly at him.

- _"Was I **too** late?" _she asked, her face frowning apologetically.

- _"Nah, it's alright. I just came here anyway." _Seifer replied, smiling back at her.

- _"So…"_ Rinoa said, sighing _"When are you leaving?"_

- _"In ten minutes." _Seifer replied, checking the huge clock, embedded on the wall across them.

- _"Umm… Are you going to be able to visit at all?" _Rinoa asked, her expression changing to one of sorrow.

- _"I dunno…" _Seifer replied honestly, raking a hand through his hair _"I probably will be very busy with missions and such. And they don't allow us to go out for long. Just a regular one-day leave."_

- _"I see…" _said Rinoa dejectedly, looking down at the floor _"So… what are we going to do about… us?" _she asked, looking back up at him.

- _"I don't suppose we'll get many chances to see each other again…" _replied Seifer, his face frowning as well.

- _"I guess this is it then?" _Rinoa asked.

            It sounded a whole lot more like a statement to Seifer, but the wavering of her voice made it quite clear that she was hoping for a different outcome. Hyne knew Seifer had had a great time with her, but trying to push things further would only make it harder for both of them. He'd end up hurting her more and she'd end up hating him. And he certainly didn't want that. He cared about Rinoa a lot and thought it better for her to be with someone who could give her what she asked for. She needed tenderness and love, something he was certain he couldn't provide her with. The problem with them from the beginning was the fact that they wanted different things, and Seifer couldn't bring himself to love her. He was looking for something different in order to give his whole self. Rinoa thought she'd found what she'd been looking for, but he was pretty sure that although she couldn't see it now, she would in the future. It was better that way.

- _"I guess so." _he replied, finding himself feeling actual sorrow that it couldn't work out between them. 

            Rinoa sighed deeply and hung her head down. Seifer held the back of her head and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then rested his own against hers. A tear ran down Rinoa's delicate skin and she sniffed lightly. Seifer looked down at her and held a crooked finger under her chin.

- _"At least we'll always have the memory of a great summer." _he said smiling at her.

            Rinoa looked up at him. She smiled back and this time, the smile reached up to her teary eyes…    

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"I'm gettin' hungry, ya know? When is he comin'?" _Raijin said to Fujin.

- _"Be patient." _she hissed, glaring at him.__

            Raijin groaned and sighed deeply. They'd been both waiting for Seifer to arrive for a fair twenty minutes at the Garden's Great Hall entrance. Today he'd be finally returning from Deling and back to Garden for good. From what they'd made out from his quite scarce letters, he'd had a fairly good summer.

- _"Ah! There he is!" _exclaimed Raijin.

            Seifer walked down the Hallway, towards his two friends. He had his bag hanged from his left shoulder and the grey trench coat thrown over his right one. His black shirt hung casually on his form, sleeves pulled up to his elbows. A pair of loose-fitting blue jeans completed the casual attire of the tall blond, who was now grinning at the sight of his posse. 

- _"Welcome back, ya know!" _Raijin said excitedly, with a broad grin on his face once Seifer approached them.

- _"Welcome." _Fujin said plainly, her lips upturning.__

- _"S'good to be back." _said Seifer, smiling as well. __

            The young SeeD raked a hand through his hair and glanced around the Hall. His eyes fell upon a slender feminine figure, clad in peach, walking down the stairway from the elevator to the first floor. Quistis shook her head slightly to the side, tossing a thick lock of golden hair away from her face. As if doing it instinctively, she turned around and locked her gaze with Seifer's. Green and blue rays met, as Quistis' feet brought her down the stairs. The tiniest hint of surprise danced around in her eyes and facial features, but was instantly wiped away and replaced by narrowed eyes and a slight frown. She turned away.

- _"Then again…" _Seifer mumbled, his jade orbs reduced into narrowed slits, following the slowly disappearing form of his ex-Instructor.

- _"What was that?" _Raijin asked.

- _"Never mind…" _Seifer replied, turning his gaze back to his friends.

- _"OK…Hungry?" _Raijin asked eagerly. Fujin shot him a glare.__

- _"Starvin'!" _replied the blond.__

- _"See?" _Raijin said smugly to Fujin _"Why don't you go leave your stuff and join us at the cafeteria, ya know?" _

- _"Good idea. Go ahead and order me something; I'll be there in five minutes." _replied Seifer.

            Raijin and Fujin nodded, dashing away towards the Cafeteria. Seifer rubbed his slightly sore left shoulder and made his way towards the Dormitories. He grinned. Despite certain 'unwelcome presences', it felt good to be back…

_                        I certainly do hope that you'll resolve your differences with such 'unwelcome presences' soon, master._

            Seifer stopped on his tracks. He cocked an eyebrow as he looked around him. No-one was there. Great… Since when was he hearing voices?

                        _There's no need to be alarmed, master. You're not 'hearing voices' as you claim._

            A shiver ran down Seifer's spine **_'OK… This ain't funny anymore… What the hell's goin' on?' _**he thought.

                        _As I said, there's no need to fear, master. This is not something you humans wouldn't consider normal._

            The blond chuckled nervously **_'Who is this? And why do you keep calling me 'master'?'_**

****

****

_It is I, Ifrit, a spirit that mortals such as yourself call a 'Guardian Force'._

_            **'And you're saying that you, talkin' to me, is normal?'**_ Seifer thought, still not quite buying the voice's story…

                        _You should already know that, master. I specifically recall it written in one of the manuals individuals like you study in this institution._

_            **'SeeD manual, Chapter 7… "A Guardian Force may often choose to communicate with its summoner…" Oh, right…'**_ the blond thought **_'But wait a sec… I never junctioned a GF before I took my field exam. How do you know about the manual?'_**

****

****

****_It is my humble opinion that you should read said manual more thoroughly, master. It specifically states that once a GF is junctioned, it 'connects' to your memories, hence, I can easily recall any experience you have come across in your life, master.  _

**_            'I'd watch that mouth if I were you, Ifrit.' _**Seifer thought, feeling irritated that a GF was 'judging' him **_'And may I ask why you chose that particular time to speak to me? Where the hell have you been all this time?'_**

****_            I suppose I needed time to get acquainted with my master's personality before I dared to attempt any communication._

_            **'Heh… So… you can read my mind at any time?' **_

                        _Correct, master._

_            '**And could you, let's say… read ANY other person's mind as well?' **_Seifer though, smirking.

                        _Affirmative, master. _

_            **'Cool…'**_

_                        Guardian spirits such as myself have powers humans cannot even come close to comprehending, if I'm allowed to say so, master._

_            **'So… You could tell me what, say… Instructor Trepe thinks of me?' **_he thought, grinning.

                        _I could, but it's against the morals of a spirit like myself, master. Besides, I'd… rather not._

            Seifer's eyes shot open. He scoffed and frowned **_'I don't think we've made a very good start here, Ifrit…'_**

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_                                                                                                                                          Four months later…_

- _"I've finished grading your papers," _Quistis spoke to her class, which immediately broke into whispers, gasps and murmur _"Which means that you'll be able to view the results on the board outside the class, if you haven't already. The rumors were true, the field exam will indeed be held today. It hardly needs to be said, but the ones participating will only be those who passed the written exam."_

            Squall rested his cheek on his balled fist. He'd already checked out the results of the written part of the exam. And he'd passed. He didn't consider it such a big deal; the written part had been fairly easy for someone who'd studied. Although he couldn't say how confident he was about the field exam…

- _"Alright," _Quistis said, upon hearing the bell ring _"If there are any of you who haven't yet acquired a Guardian Force, please come see__ me. It's a required element to move on to the field exam." _

            The brown-haired boy got up from his seat. He hadn't obtained a GF yet. Now that was something certainly interesting. He'd been reading all about such spirits in his books, but the experience of actually owning and junctioning one was something completely non-familiar to him. He approached his Instructor's desk, who was gathering her things, and spoke.

- _"Instructor Trepe?"_

- _"What is it, Squall?" _asked Quistis, smiling at her student.__

- _"You said that anyone who hasn't acquired a GF yet should come talk to you." _replied Squall.__

- _"Oh, of course. Here…" _said Quistis, handing Squall an amber orb _"You have permission to use Siren to be able to Junction magic for the battle. We only have one hour before the field exam, so meet me down at the Front Gate in ten minutes, alright?" _Quistis said.__

            Squall nodded and left the classroom, with the orb containing Siren's spirit inside his pocket. The blonde finished gathering her things into her briefcase and walked towards a glass display case in the far back of the classroom. She took out a small key from her pocket and unlocked the glass door, sliding it open. She stood up on tiptoes and picked up an oval stone, the size of an adult's palm. She carefully placed it upon one of the desks next to her and locked the door. She grabbed the stone and walked outside.

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall was making his way down the hall, towards the elevator, when a loud, chirpy voice filled the atmosphere.

- _"I'm late, I'm late, I'm LATE!!!"_

            The brown-haired boy barely had time to blink, before a blur of copper-brown and navy blue stumbled upon him hard. Squall staggered and took a few steps back, holding his slightly aching forehead with one palm. His eyes focused and the image of a girl dressed in a cadet uniform, sprawled on the floor came in sight. She winced a bit in pain, then got up in a hop. She cleared her clothes from the dust and swished a few strands of copper hair back in place.

- _"There. Tee-hee…" _she giggled, her stunningly bright green eyes lightening –if it was possible- up even more_ "Sorry, I was kinda in a hurry. Oh yeah! Hey, did you just come from that class? Is… registration over?" _she asked, grimacing. Squall nodded _"Woo…Oh, nooo…" _she moaned _"This place is **soooo** much bigger than my last Garden! Oh, hey, hey! I just transferred here. Do you think you could give me a quick tour of this Garden?" _

            Squall winced inwardly; apart from not having spare time, he wasn't in the mood to show some girl he didn't know around **_'Oh well… It's her first day here… I suppose I should be a bit nice…' _**he thought.

- _"Sure." _he replied.

- _"Whoo-hoo! Alright, let's go!" _the girl cheered, hopping up and down **_'Hyne, the chirpiness…' _**Squall thought.

- _"We'll take the lift to the first floor lobby and I'll show you the directory." _Squall said **_'Better get on with it quickly; I really don't wanna go wandering around Garden right now…'_**

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            After a quick visit to her dorm to become rid of her briefcase and change into her battle gear, Quistis left her room, getting her whip and the stone she'd picked out before with her. She walked down the Dormitory corridor, heading towards the main Hall. Out of nowhere, a young boy, not any older than nine, rushed down the corridor, almost falling onto Quistis. The blonde moved out of the way just in time, and the red-haired boy continued skidding straight down the hallway. Just when Quistis was about to resume her walking, a graveled voice roared among the walls, followed by thundering footsteps. The Disciplinary Committee soon appeared before her eyes.

- _"Where the hell did that little fucker g-"_ Seifer began, but stopped upon seeing Quistis _"Trepe." _he said firmly, nodding.

- _"Seifer." _said Quistis, nodding as well _"What's the matter? Having trouble with kids half your age?" _she asked playfully.

- _"I won't even **bother** to comment on that…" _said Seifer, frowning _"Did you happen to see 'carrot-head' run by here?" _he asked.

- _"I might have…" _Quistis replied casually, making a move to leave. As soon as she did though, Seifer grabbed her arm tightly and leered down at her.

- _"'Might have'?" _he asked _"Lemme put this simply, Trepe. Either you spill, or you're on my list too." _Seifer threatened. 

            Quistis looked down at the pressing hand on her arm and back up at Seifer's face. Her face and mind smirked mischievously.

- _"He took the first turn to the left. That's all I saw." _Quistis said.

- _"See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" _Seifer said sarcastically.

            He made a sharp move with his head to Fujin and Raijin, who ran down the hallway and took the first turn to the left. 

- _"Duty calls. Au revoir, Instructor." _Seifer said, nodding once again, then running down the hallway as well, his grey coat flowing behind him.

            Quistis grinned, pleased with herself and continued to walk towards the Main Hall.

                        _Are you sure this was a wise move, mistress?_

_            **'Trust me, Shiva. Almasy had it coming…' **_the young Instructor thought.

                        _Whatever you say, mistress.___

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall made his way down the stairs of the big yard outside Garden, heading to the Front Gate. He found Quistis already there, waiting for him.

- _"Ready, Squall?"_ she asked, once he got there. Squall nodded _"Alright, let's go."_

            The pair walked down the path, towards the fields of Balamb. Squall looked down at his Instructor's hand and noticed a silver oval stone held between her fingers.

- _"What's this?" _he asked, pointing at her hand.

- _"Have you ever heard of a Dynamo Stone, Squall?" _Quistis asked.__

- _"No." _he replied, shaking his head in negation.__

- _"It's a stone, with the element of Thunder quite powerful inside it. Later on, with the right GF abilities, you'll be able to draw Thunder magic from it." _Quistis explained.__

- _"Do we need this for the exam?" _he asked.__

- _"Yes, but not to draw magic from it." _said Quistis, stopping on a clear plain _"You see, normal Dynamo Stones, are usually… bluish. This one, is more special, because you can summon a certain GF with the use of right spell."_

- _"Which spell?" _

- _"It's slightly more advanced than the spells you use in your level. If I'm not mistaken, your level is about… eight, am I right?" _she asked.__

- _"Yes." _Squall replied laconically.__

- _"The spell is called 'Dispel'. Normally, it removes an enhanced status caused to someone by the use of a spell, like Haste, Slow etcetera. Meaning, that if someone had used the spell Haste on himself for example, you can bring him/her back to the original state by the use of Dispel. Remember, it doesn't work for all status changes, like being Petrified or knocked out. Are we clear on that?" _Quistis explained.__

- _"Yes." _

- _"Now what we're going to do, is cast Dispel on this stone, thus-"_

- _"Freeing the GF 'locked' inside." _Squall piped in.__

- _"Exactly." _Quistis said, smiling _"Are you ready?"_

- _"Yes."_

- _"Remember, Quetzalcoatl, the GF inside this stone, is a Thunder elemental GF. So don't use any Thunder spells on it, or you'll raise its strength."_

            After that last tip, Quistis held the Dynamo in her widened palm and muttered 'Dispel' under her breath. Suddenly, a surge of yellowish-green light emerged from the stone, and Quistis let it fall to the ground. Slowly, the yellow aura emitting from the Dynamo Stone began to take form, and a pair of wings gradually slipped out of the orifice on the stone. Quistis uncoiled her whip, as Squall drew out his gunblade and prepared for the fight.

            Within seconds, the bright aura was finally complete, and what seemed like a humongous greenish-gold bird, made entirely from lightning bolts, was hovering before them. Its face was blank; no features, except for a beak-like lump protruding, were visible upon it. It was flapping its wings as if rendered in slow motion; unhurriedly and graciously. A faint buzzing sound like static electricity could be heard at all times, as bolts slithered across the body of the GF. Quetzalcoatl, the spirit of Thunder, in all its glory before them.  

            Quistis shot a sideways glance at her student and lunged forward, initiating the battle. She swung her chain whip in the air and brought it down hard on the creature's shoulder. Quetzalcoatl flinched and withdrew from the weapon's sharp edge and swung one shimmering wing towards her. The young Instructor ducked in time and avoided the blow. Squall took a deep breath and decided to follow his teacher's lead. Swaying his sword in one hand with ease, the teenage mercenary rushed forward and scraped the chest of the GF with the tip of his gunblade. Quetzalcoatl's 'beak' parted and what seemed like a mouth opened, letting out a crow-like cry of pain. Squall withdrew to his previous position, glancing swiftly at his weapon. A thin sliver of lightning danced around the blade before disappearing into thin air. He momentarily felt very glad that the grip of his gunblade insulated electricity and brought his mind back to the battle. He brought two fingers to his left temple and concentrated hard. He opened his eyes and extended his palm towards the beast. A surge of red sparks flew out of the tips on his fingers, only to be soon followed by a sphere of Fire, which appeared in front of the creature's torso, burning it. Quetzalcoatl swayed back a bit, but didn't seem severely damaged from the Fire spell.

- _"Squall!" _Quistis called, slashing her whip across Quetzalcoatl's face _"For a more effective attack, use the GF's weaknesses to your advantage!"_

            **_'The GF's weaknesses?_****_ But what could I possibly use against Thunder?' _**he thought **_'Let's see… I've got Fire, Ice, Thunder's out of the question… Cure and-'_** The young boy's eyes shined and he concentrated once more. This time, when he extended his arm, he yelled…

- _"Water!"_

            A great orb of water concentrated around the creature, bringing it down with force onto the ground. The bump itself didn't cause that much of an injury, but the advantage that Water had over electricity soon took effect. The slivery bolts encasing Quetzalcoatl's body sizzled in fury and a slight amount of smoke began to emit as it convulsed wildly. 

- _"Well done!" _Quistis called, not losing time in casting another Water spell on the GF.

            Squall smiled inwardly for the success of his plan and watched as the second Water attack weakened Quetzalcoatl even more. Visibly strained, the beast drew back. Squall thought it was about to withdraw from the fight, when he felt this weird unnatural sensation around him. The clouds in the sky above them began to assemble swiftly, turning from cotton white to an ominous shade of grey. The bright morning light disappeared from sight and was replaced by steadily growing darkness. The GF raised its beak towards the sky and parted its wings wide open. Right above it, the sky shined and right on cue, a tumultuous sound pierced the atmosphere as a thick ray of concentrated lightning descended onto Quetzalcoatl's beak. Furious wind began to blow, sending still green leaves and dust on Squall and Quistis' faces. Quistis covered her face with one arm, squinting her eyes. Quetzalcoatl turned its 'face' back towards the pair and began flapping its wings wildly. Squall's irises dilated and a surge of pure electrical energy spilled out of the beak, heading right towards them.

- _"Squall, watch out!" _Quistis yelled, jumping to the side to avoid the bolt.

            Squall moved away just in time, but wasn't fast enough; as the sliver of thunder hit earth and split the surface of the ground, a stray one scraped Squall's right arm and neck, ruining the sleeve of his uniform and giving him a nasty burn right at the nape. Wincing while in mid-air, Squall ducked, resulting in him rolling on the ground and rise to his feet immediately. 

- _"Cure!" _Quistis shouted, pointing her outstretched arm towards her student. 

            Squall felt a warm aura surround his body, and a green light appeared before his face as he felt the stinging sensation on his neck slowly retract.

- _"Quick! Silence it, before it uses another Thunder attack!" _Quistis called.

            Squall nodded firmly and closed his eyes. The atmosphere, which had already cleared from the grey clouds back to normal, was suddenly muted. An eerie, hardly noticeable sound was all that could be heard from far aback, as Siren appeared onto a rock; a beautiful blonde woman, covered by little clothing, holding a small harp. She smiled impishly and scratched the cords of the harp with her fingertips, long nails quite remarkably not getting in the way. A pair of amber auras surrounded Quetzalcoatl, encircling its body, before assembling around its beak, closing it shut. The ghostly sensation of Siren's presence vanished and everything returned back to normal. Only now, Quetzalcoatl was unable to using magic. 

- _"Finish it off with physical attacks!" _Quistis advised, lunging forwards to strike with her whip once more. 

            When his Instructor drew back, Squall took his turn in attacking the GF, bringing his gunblade down across its chest numerous times. Quetzalcoatl let out a loud cry and drew back, slowly descending to the ground. It coiled its wings around its wounded body and stood still. 

- _"Now's you chance. Draw it." _Quistis said, running a hand through her damp front locks.

- _"Draw Quetzalcoatl." _Squall muttered, raising an extended palm in front of the creature.

            Quetzalcoatl turned into the flowing aura it originally came out as from the Dynamo Stone, slowly entering into Squall's palm, in the form of energy. Squall closed his eyes and hissed, as he felt every hair on his body stand up and shivers run through his skin. He gasped and opened his eyes. Quistis noticed a tiny bolt of lightning sizzling on his eyes, before he blinked a few times and it disappeared with a yellowish spark on Squall's irises. The latter shook his head and body as the last shiver ran down his spine. He noticed that Quistis was looking at him, grinning.

- _"What?" _he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

- _"Oh, nothing… I like the new hair-do, though…" _she said, covering her smiling lips with one palm, choking down a snort.

            Squall coked an eyebrow and rolled his eyes up, touching his hair with one palm. His hair were now worn in the usual style, only the hairs where quite more… elevated. The young cadet frowned and raked his hair back into place. Meanwhile, Quistis had become more serious and cleared her throat to speak.

- _"Alright… This was it. You did it. Quetzalcoatl is now yours." _she said _"Remember to junction it though and make sure you take good care of it. One last thing; keep in mind that a GF may choose to communicate with you."_

- _"Meaning?" _Squall asked.

- _"Meaning, it may choose to speak to you. Inside your mind of course. So, don't be alarmed if you suddenly hear a voice inside your head, conversing with you; you're perfectly sane." _she continued _"The time it'll choose to speak to you, will be up to the GF to decide. Some speak immediately, others rarely and others never. I should tell you that Quetzalcoatl is known for saying little. It's not a very 'social' spirit. I think you two will do just fine."_ Quistis finished, grinning widely.

- _"What's that supposed to mean?" _Squall asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

- _"Nothing, nothing!"_ she said quickly.

            Squall crossed his arms, as Quistis walked a few feet away, then kneeled down to retrieve something. It was the Dynamo Stone. Squall noticed it was now blue. Quistis walked back to him and handed him the stone.

- _"This is yours. If, for any reason, you wish to exchange a GF with another one of your peers, you'll have to send the spirit back in here and hand it to whoever you want to. You'll know Quetzalcoatl is in there when the stone is silver. Be careful not to use this as a Dynamo Stone, or else you'll never be able to unjunction Quetzalcoatl without setting it free. Understood?"_

- _"Yes." _Squall replied, slipping the stone in his pocket.

- _"Can I have Siren back?"_ asked Quistis.

            Squall nodded. He took out a very dark orange, almost brown, orb from his pocket. He looked at it strangely at first, but then realized that the color was like that due to Siren's absence from it. He concentrated, unjunctioning Siren, sending her back to the small sphere. Immediately, it turned a bright shade of amber. Quistis put it into her pocket.

- _"Thank you. OK, we're done here, let's go."_ she said.

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Dr. Kadowaki was sitting inside her office. Across her desk, sat a young boy, no older than seven. On the desk, nine cards were laid, shaping a 3x3 rectangle. It wasn't a very known fact that the doctor was a Triple Triad expert, and the few students who'd found out had either challenged her or sought her knowledge. 

- _"…So with the Same rule, you turn adjacent cards that have the exact same number written on that side. That's why the call it Same. **Same** number. Got it?" _she asked.

- _"Yup!" _the blond boy answered excitedly.

- _"Now the Plus r-"_

            The doctor stopped talking, as the doors slid open and inside came Squall. 

- _"Injury?" _the doctor asked. Squall nodded _"Go sit inside the room, I'll be there in a second."_

            Silently, the young cadet made his way into the room, sitting onto the bed. He rested his palms onto the mattress and sighed deeply, throwing his head backwards.

- _"Squall…So we meet again." _

            Squall turned his head abruptly to his right, causing the burn on his neck sting. He winced and held the aching part with his palm. He opened his eyes and saw a girl standing behind the glass wall. She looked older than him. In fact, she looked a bit old to be a Garden cadet. She wasn't a teacher; he knew them all. And she couldn't be a SeeD; they all wore their uniforms inside the Garden **_'All except for one…'_** he thought, then shook himself mentally **_'Focus, Squall…'_** The girl had shoulder length light brown hair and had brownish-black eyes. She was clad in a white blouse, a long blue skirt and had a long green shawl hanging from the insides of her elbows. Squall frowned; how did she know his name? He was **certain** he didn't know her. But… something about her face… was so… familiar. Like a distant memory from a dream, long buried into his conscience, now emerging in a short, but incoherent flashback. Squall blinked and before he had time to ask the girl who she was, she gave him a warm smile and left. Squall got up to catch up with her, but Dr. Kadowaki came inside the room.

- _"Going somewhere?" _she asked.

- _"Uh…" _said Squall, looking at the tiny tip of the girl's skirt disappear behind the wall _"Uhh… No."_ he added finally, sitting down again.

- _"What's wrong?" _the doctor asked, puzzled by his blank expression.

- _"Nothing." _Squall replied quickly. He had to be imagining things…

- _"Alright…" _said the doctor, sitting onto the bed next to him _"Now. Where were you hurt?"_

- _"Here." _Squall said, pointing at his neck _"Thunder burn."_

  
     

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                                    _Oh my Hyne… Now I get it…_

_                                                                                    Get what Quistis?_

_                                                                                                                        The day of Squall's exam… He asked me who the 'girl at the Infirmary' was…_

_                                                Ah, I see…_

_                                                            Heh… Well it makes sense **now**… I always thought it was really strange that Squall would talk to me about a girl…_

_                                                                                    I need to hear that story some time…_

_                                                                                                                                    You will…After we get finished with mine…_

_                                                                        Alright, let's move on…_

                                                                                                                         *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis was lying onto her bed, back lying against the wall and headboard behind her. Her laptop was laid on her thighs, a typing noise filling the silent atmosphere of her dorm. She pushed the bridge of her glasses backwards, as it had slipped down to the front of her nose and tucked a stray lock of hair –which she wore in a high ponytail- behind her ear. She stretched on the spot and crossed her grey-shorts-clad legs together. She pulled the sleeves of her tight white blouse up and went on typing the reports of her SeeD-level class on her computer. She yawned and glanced at the clock hanging from the wall above her desk. 6:23 p.m. The SeeD exam participants should be returning anytime soon. Quistis was really nervous to see how many of her students would pass this time. Last year, she had been quite successful wh-

**                                                                                                                      !BANG!**

            Quistis jolted up. What the hell was that?! Seemed like someone had the intention of knocking her door down. Setting her laptop aside on the mattress, she got up and ran to the door, before that person did permanent damage to it. She swung it open and came face-to-face with a visibly enraged Seifer, his fist frozen in mid-air while attempting to knock on her door once more.

- _"What's with the knocking?!" _Quistis yelled at him _"Were you intending on destroying my door?!"_

- _"I do **not** appreciate being lied to, Trepe." _he said, pointing a threatening finger at her, completely ignoring her question.__

- _"What?" _Quistis asked, bemused.__

- _"You know what I did for the past three hours?" _he asked sarcastically, taking an ominous step forward. Quistis stepped backwards _"I'll tell you: I spent my past three hours chasing around a kid in Garden."_

            Seifer was slowly stepping inside the dorm with a murderous expression on his face, leering down at Quistis, who was backtracking. 

- _"Apparently, 'carrot-head' had been in his room all this time; I saw him coming out of it, which was when I seized him." _Seifer went on _"Now why, oh **why**, am I telling **you** all that?" _he asked, narrowing his eyes into slits of jade. Quistis shrugged feebly _"Oh, you don't know?" _he asked, in mock-surprise _"Alright then… Let me explain… The kid's room you see, is located just down the main corridor of the Dormitories. When I got him, he confessed that once losing sight of us, he ran immediately to his room. And you know what pisses me off the most? The fact that I missed Leonhart's departure because of chasing around that kid. I he passes, I'll never get a chance to destroy his confidence before heading off to the SeeD exam…" _Seifer said crossing his arms _"Anyway, what's done is done. Now, I'm just pissed about the kid." _

- _"Your point in all this?" _Quistis asked, attempting a sarcastic grin; she wanted to appear calm, but the damned guy had the effect of cowering anyone. **Anyone**. Just as long as he wanted to.__

- _"My **point**, Trepe, is that I felt extremely… displeased, as a certain someone had told me he'd seen the boy take the first turn to the right, if I remember correctly, and disappear." _Seifer replied.__

- _"No, it was to the left…" _Quistis muttered, stifling a grin.__

            Seifer's eyes shone in rage and he threw his right fist backwards, onto the wall behind him. Quistis winced as a faint cracking sound was heard.

_                        I told you this hadn't been a very wise idea, mistress…_

_            **'Not NOW, Shiva!' **_Quistis' mind screamed. 

- _"Are you planning on destroying my room completely today?" _she asked.

- _"Listen here, **Instructor**… No-one fools with Seifer Almasy and gets away with it. You hear? **No-one**." _he growled at her.

- _"Should I be starting to get scared any time now?" _Quistis asked, crossing her arms.

            Seifer chuckled. He ran a hand through his short hair and laughed. Quistis would have found his expression quite charming if she wasn't scared shitless right now. And something about his laughter made her feel quite uneasy. Why did she get the feeling that this wasn't g-

            Quistis gasped and winced as her back made hard contact with the wall behind her. Before she'd even had time to blink, Seifer had grabbed her from the arms and had pinned her to the wall. Quistis cursed at herself inwardly. Of **course** it had been a damned distraction **_'Rookie mistake…' _**

- _"You're very lucky, you know…"_ Seifer said in a low voice. Quistis noticed that he didn't seem angry anymore. But smirking as usual… _"Lucky that I'm a gentleman and never hit women outside battle."_

- _"Oh, lucky me!" _Quistis said sarcastically.__

- _"Not a very wise time to use sarcasm, Trepe. Not now that I've calmed down a respectable amount…" _Seifer warned _"Anyway…I'll **let** you away with it this time, but there won't be a second one, understood?"_ he asked. Quistis cocked an eyebrow _"And it wouldn't hurt to show some respect towards the Head of the Disciplinary Committee… You never know what he might do if a certain individual pisses him off **too **much."_

- _"Respect is **earned**, not forced upon, Seifer." _Quistis said matter-of-factly _"And that is by the way the reason why I lied to you about that kid. Scaring them to death is not the ideal way of making them follow the rules."_

- _"**I'll** be the judge of that." _Seifer retorted.__

            Quistis' cell-phone chose that specific moment to ring. The blonde turned her head to the desk on her right, where the small silver phone stood, ringing. Seifer turned to look as well, never loosening his grip on her. Quistis looked back at him, with an expression as if saying 'Well?' Seifer smirked. Releasing one arm, he reached for the mobile phone and handed it to Quistis, finally letting her go. He stood in front of her, arms folded in front of his broad chest as she answered the call.

- _"Hello?" _Quistis spoke _"*Pause* Yes… *Pause* Oh, they're here? *Pause* Yes, yes, I'll be up in five minutes. *Pause* Alright, bye."_ she said, terminating the call.

- _"Who was it?" _asked Seifer.__

- _"None of your business." _replied Quistis, making a move to walk away.__

            Seifer blocked her way, slapping one hand onto the wall. Quistis rolled her eyes and tried to leave from the other side, only to be blocked again. She looked at Seifer with an exasperated expression. She tried to pass underneath Seifer's arms, sliding down the wall. Seifer slid down with her. Quistis stood back up.

- _"This is getting ridiculous, you know. Do you want something?" _she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

- _"Who was on the phone?" _he asked again.__

- _"Why do you care so much?" _

- _"Curiosity." _he replied plainly, shrugging.__

- _"*Sigh* It was Xu, calling to say that the SeeD exam participants have arrived." _she replied _"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get up to the Headmaster's office."_

- _"Splendid!" _said Seifer, finally moving out of the way _"Let's go, I wanna laugh at Leonhart's face for failing miserably!"_

- _"Oh, no, no, no. **I'm** going. You're **staying**." _Quistis said, moving to her bed to shut her laptop down.__

- _"Aw, c'mon!"_

- _"Even if **wanted **you up there, Cid wouldn't allow it, so forget it." _Quistis said, setting her computer on her desk.__

- _"Fine…" _Seifer said.__

            Quistis walked over to her wardrobe, taking out her SeeD uniform. She laid it down on her bed and was about to begin getting undressed, when she noticed that Seifer was still in her room. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking around her room. Quistis cleared her throat loudly. Seifer turned and looked at her.

- _"What?" _he asked –if it was possible for him- innocently.

- _"Do you mind? I need to get dressed." _she replied.__

- _"I'm not stopping you." _Seifer replied casually, turning around to check her stack of books onto the shelf before him.__

- _"You're joking, right?" _Quistis asked incredulously.__

- _"No." _Seifer said, turning his head only, shrugging.__

- _"Seifer get out."_

- _"Get on with it! I've even turned my back!" _he said, now skimming along her copy of _'Do Androids dream of electric sheep?'_

- _"Seifer, out!" _Quistis hissed, pointing at the door.__

- _"Tsk… You're no fun…" _he said, walking towards the door.__

            Quistis shook her head in disbelief. She grabbed the hem of her blouse and was about to pull it up, when the door flung open again.

- _"I was going to lend you my copy of 'The man in the __High__Castle__' by the way, but now I'm not." _Seifer said, his head poking out of the door.

            Quistis glared at him. Seifer closed the door behind him, leaving her to finally get ready. __

* * *

**A/N:** _'Do androids dream of electric sheep?' _and _'the man in the __High__Castle__'_ are, for some who may not know, titles of two books written by the amazing Philip K. Dick. I'd suggest them both to anyone who likes sci-fi and good books in general. 

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Squall returns from his SeeD exam and it's time for yet another SeeD Ball._

_Rinoa arrives in Garden for official business with Cid. _

_How will Seifer handle seeing her again?_

_Will Rinoa get a chance to meet Squall? And if yes, how? _


	12. Chapter 11: Dirty hankies and fivehundre...

**A/N:** Another update here, and one on the other story as well… Whoo-hoo…

My apologies for this one, as it's one more chapter where things are going a bit slow and rushed. And also, sorry for the fact that a great part of the dialogue is still the original one, but I figured I should stick to that one about the sequences that don't change. A lot of events 'stuffed' in here as well, but I promise; it's the last one. After this, the **major** changes begin ^_^ Also, note that I won't be including the 'Dream-World' sequences, as there won't be anything different whatsoever in there, so there's no point. Whenever the guys fall asleep and enter the 'dream-World' I'll note it with '*****'. Also, in future chapters, when a hero is having a 'plain' dream, it'll be displayed in full italics and after he/she wakes up, it'll be noted with '******' again. Just informin' ya.

On a final note, I hope that any Squinoa fans that are reading this, won't lynch me for the way they meets here… I'm saying this because I decided to use a more… 'comedic' approach… : /

The 'five-hundred-pound bumblebee' on the title, is a reference to Granaldo and it's 'borrowed' (after request **of course**) from one of the most fantastic fics I've read here in ff.net. The story's name is **_'Final Fantasy: Point of Intersection'_** and the author's name is **_Axwind_**. It's truly a story that no fan of the FF series should miss. 

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer returns to Garden after his long-term 'vacation' in __Deling__City__, breaking up with Rinoa. Squall, prepares for his field exam and gets a hold of his first GF, Quetzalcoatl. _

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                        Chapter 11: Dirty hankies and five-hundred-pound bumblebees **

* * *

* * *

- _"First of all, congratulations. However, from now on, as a member of SeeD, you will be dispatched all over the world."_ Headmaster Cid spoke.

            In front of him, four former cadets stood. Squall, Zell and the brunette Squall had stumbled upon that morning. Apparently, her name was Selphie Tilmitt. She had been on a different Squad, but she'd been sent to inform them about the withdrawal order and they'd gotten the chance to get acquainted. The last cadet to pass the exam, was some guy Squall didn't know. They were the only ones who had passed the SeeD exam that year. A Garden faculty, along with some Instructors –including Quistis- was standing next the Headmaster. Quistis was quite surprised at the small number of cadets who had passed this year, but was really glad that they all came from her class. All except for that girl, but from what she'd heard, she was an exchange student from Trabia.

- _"We are proud to introduce SeeD, __Balamb__Garden__'s mercenary soldiers. SeeD soldiers are combat specialists. BUT…That is only one aspect of SeeD. When the time comes-"_ continued Cid.

- _"Headmaster…It's almost time for the meeting. Please make this short."_ a Garden faculty spoke, cutting Cid off _"SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependant on each one of you. Handle your mission with care. Is that what you wanted to say, sir?"_ the faculty asked. Cid sighed and nodded _"Here is your SeeD rank report!"_

            Cid proceeded in handing a report to every newly appointed SeeD, accompanied by a small comment for every one of them.

- "This ends the SeeD inauguration. Dismissed!" the Garden faculty said.

            The three cadets, save Squall, all slowly walked out of the Headmaster's office. Before exiting through the door, Zell gave Squall a meaningful nod, who returned it and approached the Headmaster.

- _"Sir, may I have a word with you?" _he asked.__

- _"Yes Squall, of course, what is it?" _asked Cid smiling.

- _"There's something I feel I must report about the SeeD exam." _Squall replied.

- _"Go ahead." _Cid said frowning, alarmed by Squall's serious expression.

- _"Is something wrong Headmaster?" _asked Quistis, approaching the duet.

- _"Ah, Quistis. Squall is one of your students, right?"  _Cid asked.

- _"Yes, sir. And my best one this semester to be exact." _Quistis replied, beaming.

- _"It's quite obvious why." _Cid agreed_ "Now Squall here said he had to report something about the field exam in Dollet."_

- _"Did anything happen, Squall?" _Quistis asked, concerned.__

- _"Well you see sir, we were told to secure the __Central Square__ of Dollet…" _began Squall_ "And we did."_

- _"Sorry to interrupt you, but who was in your team?" _asked Cid.__

- _"Zell Dincht and Damien Fitzpatrick." _replied Squall.__

- _"He took the exam the semester before as well." _Quistis informed Cid.__

- _"Alright, go on." _Cid urged Squall to continue.__

- _"Well, after clearing the designated area for enemies, we noticed a small troop of Galbadian soldiers sneaking through the area, heading towards the Dollet Communication Tower." _narrated Squall.__

- _"Did you follow them?" _asked Cid.__

- _"No. As Squad Leader I thought it best to stick to orders, sir." _replied Squall.__

- _"Right, right… And you acted wisely Squall. You couldn't know what danger you might have inflicted upon your team doing otherwise." _said Cid.__

- _"Did you by any chance hear anything they said?" _asked Quistis.__

- _"No. All we saw was that they were headed that way." _replied Squall.__

            Cid turned and looked at Quistis knowingly.
    
    - _"Well our sources are proven right then…" _Quistis replied to Cid's unspoken question. Squall looked at both of them questioningly.
    
    - _"We received information a little while ago that the Galbadians were working on getting the Dollet Communication working again." _Cid informed Squall.
    
    - _"But, hadn't it been down for about seventeen years?"_ Squall asked.
    
    - _"Yes it was." _replied Quistis _"We've already sent out detective Squads to retrieve more information." _
    
    - _"Anyway, you did excellent on reporting this Squall. You've confirmed our suspicions. Is there anything else you wanted?" _Cid asked.
    
    - _"No sir, that's all." _Squall replied.
    
    - _"Very well, you may go now."_ Cid said.

            Squall nodded and saluted his Headmaster and –now- ex-Instructor, leaving the office.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The brown-haired SeeD exited the elevator shaft on the second floor. Zell was waiting for him outside, looking ecstatic. As soon as Squall stepped out, Zell wrapped his arm tightly around Squall, grinning from ear to ear. Squall pried him off indignantly.

- _"So did you tell them, then?" _Zell asked.

- _"Yes. They said that they'd received information that the Galbadians had been trying to get the __Comm.__Tower__ running and that my report confirmed it." _Squall replied.

- _"Great! Now c'mon! We have to give a speech in front of the entire class!" _Zell said.

            Squall followed Zell towards one of the classrooms. Man how he hated this kind of things… What was he supposed to say in front of his classmates? _'Ha! I passed and you didn't!'_? **_'Better just get on with it and go get some rest…' _**he thought. They had just reached the corner and were about to walk down the other hall to the classrooms, when Squall heard someone whistle behind him. Cocking an eyebrow, he turned around and saw Seifer leaning against a wall, arm crossed, the trademark smirk spread wide across his face. Raijin and Fujin were, as expected, one each side of him.

- _"So…" _Seifer began, voice dripping with sarcasm _"It **is** true that they'll pass just about anyone…"_

- _"Well of course it is." _Squall retorted _"They passed **you**, didn't they?" _

- _"And 'Chicken-Wuss, too?" _Seifer said, looking at Zell.__

            The latter clenched his fists and was about to have a go at him, when Squall stopped him.

- _"It's not worth it." _he said.

- _"Hey, what are you getting' all worked up about?" _Seifer asked innocently _"I'm glad you two passed. Now I might get a chance to work with you on a mission and prove your sorry asses useless…"_

            Squall rolled his eyes and turned his heel, following Zell to the classroom.

- _"Yo Leonhart!" _called Seifer one last time. 

            Squall turned around wearily and glared at Seifer. He was expecting yet another smart-ass comment, but what he heard caught him completely off-guard.

- _"Congratulations." _the tall blond said, giving Squall an expression he didn't know whether to interpret as a smile or a smirk.

            The brown-haired boy stood speechless and Seifer stood up, leaving the corridor, accompanied by his posse **_'Well… That's a new…' _**Squall thought and, shaking his head in disbelief, walked towards the classroom.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                        _I always knew Seifer respected Squall even though he taunts him all the time._

_                                                            Yeah, from what I've understood, they have a very strange relationship. I could swear, that behind all this ripping _

_                                                            on each other, hides a deep relationship… Friendship even…_

_                                    The day in which I'll hear my two students call each other 'friends' is probably the day Hell freezes over…_

_                                                                                                            *Laughter* My guess as well, Quisty…_

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*__

            Squall stood with his back leaning against the wall. He stirred the bubbly champagne liquid inside his glass, sighing deeply in boredom. He would be anywhere else right know if he could help it… But nooooo… _'All SeeDs are obliged to attend their inauguration Ball, held at the end of every semester'_. Stupid rules. The thought of missing the Ball in pretence of illness had of course crossed his mind, but when Selphie appeared in his room, all dressed-up in her uniform, he had no other choice. It may not sound believable, but that girl had the power to persuade people eventually. And she could get quite scary too… 

            Glancing around the room, Squall watched numerous couples sway graciously –in most cases at least- in the dance floor and others talking vigorously, while trying to get as drunk as possible at the same time. His steel blue eyes suddenly spotted Seifer Almasy, walking inside the Ballroom, followed by his two trusty side-kicks. Oh joy… This party was getting worse by every fucking passing second… And Squall was in no mood to listen to Seifer's ridicule again. All he wanted to, was to be alone. Looking around the room for a possible 'escape', his eyes stopped at the balcony. He glanced back at Seifer, a girl dressed in white had just approached him and he seemed distracted enough. Now was his chance…   

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer rested his elbows on the bar behind him. Raijin and Fujin were ordering drinks. Hmmm… He could do with a beer or something right now. Just as long as it was alcohol. He turned around, ready to order something, when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder from behind. He turned around and his eyes widened. It was Rinoa. Smiling warmly at him, dressed in a champagne-yellow dress and white heels. What was she doing here? Was she here to see him?

- _"Hey…" _Seifer said surprised _"What are you doing here?"_

- _"Remember when I asked you to slip a kind word to Cid about the '__Forest__ Owls'? Well, we spoke on the phone and he told me to come over today!" _replied Rinoa_ "Aaaand… I was hoping to see you for a bit, too."_

            Seifer grinned and ran a hand through his hair.

- _"Well, d-"_ he began, but Rinoa interrupted him by falling into his arms.

            The brunette hugged him from the waist tightly, while Seifer hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, too. He motioned to Fujin and Raijin to leave them alone for a while. Fujin nodded and dragged Raijin away, walking towards the bar to get drinks.

- _"I've missed you…" _Rinoa whispered _"It's really good to see you again."_

- _"Ditto." _replied Seifer.__

- _"Can I have this dance?" _Rinoa asked, raising her head up to look at him eagerly.__

- _"Sure." _replied Seifer smiling at her.__

            He held her hand and guided her towards the dance floor, where many couples were swaying gently to the slow song. Rinoa wrapped har arms around Seifer's neck and rested har head on his chest, while he held her loosely from the waist. As they began to rock to the rhythm of the song, Rinoa let out a sigh of longing and closed her eyes. 

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Boredom. Dullness. Monotony. Ennui. World-weariness. Tediousness. Yup, there were many words that could describe Quistis' mood tonight. Xu had a date and was therefore absent from the SeeD Inauguration Ball this semester, leaving Quistis alone tonight to fulfill her mandatory duty. It was a rule of Garden that all Instructors were obliged to be present at the Ball. Quistis never understood why. There was a certain loop-hole to that rule, which stated that 'one could refrain from attending the Ball if one had a serious prior engagement'. Such engagement involved family issues, or some possible illness. Well, the first option was ruled out, seeing as an orphan could have no family issues. Quistis momentarily thought about excusing herself to the bathroom and draw some bogus spots on her face with an eye-pencil or a lipstick, but alas, she didn't carry any **_'This is what I get for not using make-up more often…' _**she thought. Muttering a quick excuse to the 'company' of Instructors around her, she made her way towards the bar. She never drank on any occasion, with the exception of the Ball, where she only allowed herself to have one glass of champagne. Tonight though, she figured she needed something a tad stronger.

- _"One Margarita, please." _she mumbled to the barman, who nodded and began fixing her drink.

            She sighed and glanced around the Ballroom tediously. She twirled around a lock of hair in her finger, which had fallen loose from her tight bun. She stuck a finger underneath the black choker, which had been, well, **choking** her from the moment she'd worn it. Damn that Xu. Even though she hadn't come to the Ball, she'd insisted that she'd help Quistis get ready. The choker was her idea. As well as the black, tight-fitting midi dress and the black heels. The only compromises she'd eventually agreed to make, were the lack of make-up and the hairstyle, in which Quistis just wouldn't agree to have any other way. Quistis forced a smile to the SeeDs who had just greeted her and continued to wait impatiently for her drink.

- _"…Did you see that chick Almasy's dancing with?" _

            Quistis cocked an eyebrow and as discretely as possible, moved closer to the SeeDs who were obviously talking about Seifer and some girl.

- _"Yeah, man. I'm telling you, I don't know what hot gals like them see in him. First it was Angelina Schaffer, then that blonde from FH, now this one… Are they all blind?!" _

            The two SeeDs filled their cups with fruit punch and went on their way, clearing the view of the dance floor for Quistis. The bartender finally got her drink ready and Quistis blindly grabbed the glass from the counter, as her eyes were glued to the dance floor. It didn't take her long to spot a certain couple of a blond and a brunette. Seifer, was apparently dancing quite closely with a girl which –Quistis had to admit- was very pretty. She had long raven hair that reached a few inches below her shoulders, a thin figure and was wearing a yellowish-white dress that did her a lot of justice. She had her arms wrapped possessively around Seifer's neck, while he was gingerly holding her waist.

            Quistis shrugged and scoffed, unsure of why she was actually shrugging for. She made her way back to her –she shuddered- 'company', finishing half her drink in one gulp.      

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                                    _OK, I'd just like to make something clear here! I was **clearly** disapproving the public display of affection between Seifer and Rinoa! _

_                                    I was **NOT** jealous!_

_                                                                                                                                    Quisty, are you trying to persuade me?_

_                                                            *Pause* No. I'm just stating the obvious._

_                                                                                                                                    *Cough*Denial*Cough*_

_                                    What was that?_

_                                                                                                                                                Nothing. Why don't we resume what we were seeing?_

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The slow song was over and the DJ switched it into a waltz. Seifer stopped dancing and Rinoa looked up at him.

- _"One more?" _she asked.

- _"I don't like waltzes." _Seifer said, walking back to the corner he'd been standing previously.

            Rinoa followed him and stood next to him, watching the dancing couples, fidgeting with her ring that hung on her chest from the silver chain.

- _"So… This is Garden…" _she said, trying to make idle conversation.

- _"Yup." _Seifer answered laconically, slipping his hands in his pockets _"How are things goin' on with your dad?"_

- _"I left home." _Rinoa replied.

- _"What? Why?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"Well… After the whole… 'shotgun incident'," _Rinoa said grinning. Seifer smiled awkwardly _"Things got worse. Besides, I got into the '__Forest__ Owls' and moved to Timber."_

- _"Sorry 'bout that." _

- _"Don't be. You just helped speed up the inevitable." _Rinoa said casually _"I'm much happier now that I've left."_

- _"That's good to hear."_ Seifer said, looking around the Ballroom in boredom.

- _"*Pause* I was thinking," _said Rinoa, walking closer to him _"Maybe we could… give it another shot?"_ she asked, smiling warmly at him.

            Seifer stiffened in his position. That was the last thing he needed right now. What was he supposed to answer to that? Well, he had to answer **something**, he couldn't just stand there. 

- _"Not a good idea." _he replied, not facing her.

- _"Why not?" _Rinoa asked, touching his hand.

- _"I don't think a long-distance relationship would be easy for any of us." _he replied diplomatically, turning to look at her.

- _"All it takes is some good will. If we try hard enough, I know we can make it." _Rinoa said, now holding both his hands _"Question is, are you willing to try?"_ she asked, smiling hopefully. Seifer chewed on the interior of his cheek awkwardly.

- _"Honestly? *Pause* No." _he replied.

            Rinoa froze on the spot. Her face fell immediately upon hearing his response.

- _"I-i-is it something I did?" _she asked, pulling her hands away.

- _"No, no, it's not you-"_ Seifer began.

- _"Oh please, Seifer! 'It's not you, it's me'?"_ Rinoa said exasperated, her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to spill _"Don't you have a better line to use? The least you can do is be honest with me!"_

- _"I am!" _Seifer protested _"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have given you a straight answer just now!" _

- _"So," _said Rinoa sniffing, crossing her arms in from of her chest _"This summer was what? Just another fling for you?"_

- _"*Sigh* I never said that-"_

- _"Is there someone else?" _she asked suddenly.

- _"What? What made you think that?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Maybe the fact that you're not giving me a good reason for turning me down!"_ Rinoa replied stubbornly.

- _"I told you the truth! I don't want to try again! Last summer was great, but we live in different cities and I don't want to put myself through the process of **trying** to make it work!"_ Seifer retorted, frustrated.

- _"Why not?!" _Rinoa insisted.

- _"Because I don't want to! As simple as that!"_

- _"Do you mean you don't want **me** anymore?"_

- _"If you wanna take it that way…" _Seifer said, shrugging.

- _"Fine then!" _Rinoa spat back at him, turning her heel. Seifer could easily see that she was crying now.

- _"Damn, Rinoa, don't cry. I didn't…" _he began, but she was already gone _"Aw, crap…" _Seifer cursed, running a hand through his hair.

- _"I didn't know that making poor girls cry was within your long list of abilities, Seifer…"_

            Seifer's head snapped to the side, towards the person who'd spoken to him. He really didn't have to though; he'd recognize that icy feminine voice anywhere…

- _"Didn't your mommy ever tell you eavesdropping isn't nice, Trepe?" _he retorted, his eyes narrowing.

- _"Smooth change of subject."_ Quistis said, smirking _"And I didn't really need to 'eavesdrop' to catch what doubtlessly the whole Ballroom did."_

- _"*Scoff* Did you want something Trepe, or are you just here to bust my balls? It ain't the best time to start bickering you know, and I'm certainly not in the mood for it." _Seifer said wearily.

- _"All I wanted to say, is that I didn't think you were so horrible to girls." _Quistis begun, crossing her arms _"Your reputation with the 'ladies' precedes you of course, but making a girl run away crying? That's **low** Seifer…" _

- _"Who the fuck do you think you are?" _Seifer growled at her, walking over to her ominously _"You trot down here, judging me about something which you probably didn't even hear half of, and then insult me like that? Fuck you, Trepe." _he said, pointing a threatening finger at her_ "If you're feeling like being a bitter bitch, go irritate someone else, unless you want to end up in a full-body cast."_

- _"Are you threatening me?" _Quistis said, narrowing her eyes at him.

- _"I sure as hell am." _Seifer spat back, turning his heel.

            Quistis watched him walk across the Ballroom and disappear through the doorway **_'The nerve on that guy… What does he think, that petty cursing will get to me?' _**Quistis though, taking a long sip of her drink. She fidgeted nervously with a stray lock, almost pulling it off her scalp. She sighed **_'Was I… too hard on him?'_**

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall rested his hands on the railing out in the balcony, watching the starry sky above him. Was all this celebration necessary? So he'd made SeeD, big deal. No need to go around partying like crazy for no reason. They were supposed to be mercenaries for Hyne's sake. Not air-headed teenagers… Wait… They **were** teenagers, true, but once having decided to join a Military Academy like Garden, they should act-

            The brown-haired boy turned around abruptly. Some girl had just run out in the balcony, tear-eyed. She was wiping her brown eyes with her palms, resulting in creating long black smudges of what was obviously mascara around her eyes. She was sniffing and rubbing her bare arms in warmth; the weather outside was certainly not suitable for the white mini-dress she was wearing… Squall watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye. Wait a second… Wasn't that the girl Seifer had been dancing with right before? Yes, it was certainly her, no doubt. But why was she crying now? Had something happened with- **_'Heh…_****_ As if I have to wonder… I can't imagine that jerk being subtle to girls…' _**Squall thought. Not that he possessed the epitome of tact when it came to the opposite sex, but that wasn't the point right now.

            The girl walked over to the railing and sighed deeply, staring at the night sky as well. She sniffed a few more times, before bursting into tears again. Squall groaned inwardly; was this one of Hyne's devious schemes to ruin his perfectly well chosen moments of solitude? **_'Oh well…'_** Squall slipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved a white hanky. He hesitated for a second, then offered it to the girl, hardly looking at her. The brunette turned her teary gaze at him and took the hanky in her slender fingers.

- _"Thank you…" _she mumbled, and Squall heard her soft voice for the first time.

            She placed the hanky above her nose and blew hard, making Squall turn to look at her, coking an eyebrow. She folded the white piece of cloth and wiped the bottom eyelids of her eyes. She looked at the tainted hanky and gasped.

- _"Oh, I'm so sorry! Your handkerchief… It's all dirty now…" _she apologized, wincing at the sight of Squall's once sparkly-clean hanky.

- _"It's… It's OK…" _said Squall casually, shooting a side-ways glance at his now, err… filthy possession.

- _"Umm… here…" _the girl said softly, returning the handkerchief to its owner.

            Squall picked it up with two fingers, carefully putting it back in his pocket, while grimacing a bit. 

- _"Thanks… Again…" _said the girl, grinning. Squall just shrugged in reciprocation _"So… Are you a SeeD?" _she asked. The young boy nodded _"I'm guessing you just passed the test, right?"_

- _"Yeah." _

- _"Congratulations." _said the girl warmly, sniffing a bit.__

- _"Thank you."_

            The two remained silent for a few seconds, until something up in the sky caught both their attention. A falling star had just shot across the sky. The girl looked up at it and smiled, then turned to look at Squall, pointing with her finger towards the sky.

- _"Make a wish…" _the girl whispered, as if it wouldn't come true if she spoke out loud. Squall simply grinned _"I've never been in your Garden before." _said the girl _"I didn't know it was so impressive…"_

- _"It's nice." _Squall replied nonchalantly.__

- _"Not much of a talker, are you?" _the brunette asked, smiling at him. Squall just shrugged again _"Lemme guess… You'll only talk to someone you like. OK then…" _said the girl mischievously.__

            She stepped in front of Squall and began twirling her fingers before his face, as if trying to put him under a spell.

- _"Look into my eyes… You're-going-to-like-me, you're-going-to-like-me…" _she chanted, in a mock-deep voice _"Did it work?" _she asked eagerly.

            Squall chuckled. The girl laughed along with him as well, letting out a big sigh. It was obvious she was trying to forget her grief by trying to make idle conversation. She seemed to be nice enough. And even though Squall didn't want to admit it to himself, she probably was one of the prettiest girls he'd ever laid eyes upon. Once having removed the mascara smudges anyway… He was just about to open his mouth and say something, when he saw the girl look towards the Ballroom.

- _"Oh… Excuse me, I have to go. I came here on some business…" _she apologized _"Thanks a lot for this, bye." _she said, smiling sadly and walked back inside.

            Squall sighed and turned his gaze back towards the sky **_'Typical…' _**he thought. Suddenly, fireworks filled the black starlit sky, erupting into a frenzy of fluorescent colors. The young boy rested his cheek against his palm and sighed once again…  

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis walked down the Dormitory corridor, heading back to her dorm after the party. She winced on every contact her heels made with the floor **_'Whoever invented high heels is a cruel, sadistic person… And obviously a man…' _**she thought. As she walked past the endless series of doors, she stopped on her tracks outside a familiar one. She shot a sideways glance at it, then resumed her walking. As soon as she took a step forward though, she halted again. She turned and faced the door, drawing a big breath. She slowly walked towards the threshold and raised her clenched fist. She bit her bottom lip and knocked gently on the door. Immediately, she regretted it and made a move to leave, when she heard footsteps from the room inside. She stayed in her position and adjusted her dress. The door opened after a couple of seconds and Seifer emerged, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a grey T-shirt, a cigarette lit and smoldering between his fingers. His eyebrows and forehead creased in to a frown upon seeing her and he brought his lips to the cigarette butt, drawing in a big drag.

- _"What do you want?" _he said in a hostile manner, deliberately blowing smoke on her face.

            Quistis turned away and brushed the cloud of smoke aside with her palm. She looked back at him and spoke.

- _"I just wanted to say, that… I went a bit overboard tonight." _she said. Seifer raised an eyebrow _"It wasn't my place to meddle and I shouldn't have spoken like that. I'm sorry." _

            Seifer's expression turned into a slightly suspicious frown, eyebrow still cocked.

- _"Apology accepted." _he said, although Quistis wasn't entirely convinced he meant it.

- _"Splendid… That's all. Good night." _said Quistis firmly, turning her heel and resuming her way down to her own dorm.

- _"*Scoff* She's 'sorry'…" _mumbled Seifer, closing the door behind him.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            **_'…Seventeen… Eighteen!' _**Squall thought, blasting one last Grat to pieces with one bullet from his gunblade. He winced as a great splatter of green slime shot out towards him, staining his perfect chocolate bangs of hair and sparkly clean leather jacket **_'Dammit! I'd just gotten that back from the dry cleaner's!' _**he thought, wiping his hair and clothes clean, with a grimace of disgust. Shortly after that girl had left the balcony, Squall had decided to ditch the party. He wasn't in the mood to go sleep, so he reckoned a bit of light training would allow him to let off some steam. Besides, it would help him get to sleep much more easily. And he was right… After ripping the guts off of eighteen Grats, he felt he needed to go to bed. Stretching and slipping his gunblade back in place on the side of his hip, he began to make him way out of the Training center, when…

- _"Somebody help!!!"_

            Squall turned around abruptly. The feminine scream had come from the other side of the Training Center. Pulling out his weapon again, Squall lost no time and broke into a run, towards the source of the voice. He crossed the grassy fields, jumped over rocks that came into his way, trying to reach the woman as quick as possible. When he made it, he found himself on the opposite entrance of the Center, where the girl who'd called for help was. Squall's eyes narrowed. It was the girl he'd seen in the Infirmary that morning. But she wasn't alone. She was face-to-face with a huge bee-like creature Squall recognized as Granaldo. And to add more to the already tough situation, there were three Raldos, Armadillo-looking monsters, with a tough stone surface covering their backs.

- _"Squall!!!" _the girl shouted upon seeing him, her eyes lightening up with hope.

            Squall lost no time trying to figure out how she knew his name and lunged forward to the beasts. A Raldo ran ahead at first, but Squall avoided it easily, with a slash of his gunblade, sending it rolling on the ground. The Granaldo was staying behind, waiting for the perfect time to attack Squall. The young mercenary was too quick for it though, jumping on top of the stone back of a Raldo, he leaped even higher and swung his sword across the beast's throat, detaching it at once from its body. The girl, who had curled up down into a corner, winced as blood and thick yellowish slime sprayed all over Squall's face and clothes. 

            Still in mid-air, Squall rolled over and landed on his feet, quickly casting a Sleep spell on one of the Raldos close to him. He kicked the other one on the face once it approached, sending it swinging back and forth helplessly on its back. Luckily, Squall knew a Raldo's weakness; the bottom part of its body. Once you got them on their backs, they let their vulnerable area uncovered. Losing no time, Squall plunged his sword deep down the creature's stomach. The Raldo emitted a drum-piercing screech as it let out its last breath. By now, the first one was running towards Squall, but was easily stopped with a Fire spell by the latter. He finished it off the same way, then turned to the last one. With one hard kick, that too was on its back and perished by one stab of the gunblade right on the stomach.

            The young SeeD let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion and run a hand through his damp hair. Damn was he on fire tonight… He turned towards the girl, who was staring at him in awe. He was about to ask her who she was, when two men clad in white came out of nowhere and helped her up.

- _"It's not safe here. Please, let's go…" _said one of them.

- _"…Alright." _the girl said reluctantly, as they walked her out of the Training Center.

            She turned and gave Squall one last sorrowful look, before resuming her steps away from him. The other one of the men, stopped in front of Squall and bowed at him, then following the other two. Squall was left looking at them flabbergasted. What the hell was going on? Who **was** she? And who were those two other guys with her? Squall exhaled audibly and slipped his bloodstained gunblade on the side of his hip once again **_'Hyne dammit!' _**he thought **_'As if Grat slime wasn't enough, now I've got blood and Granaldo puss all over my jacket! *Sigh* I'd better clean it tonight, or it'll NEVER go away…'_**

****

****

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*__

_                                                                                                                                          The next morning…_

            Morning air hit Squall's face as he stepped outside the Garden, heading towards the Front Gate. Selphie had been 'kind' enough to bang on his door first thing in the morning, yelling that they were going on their first mission. Dammit… Could they get one day to rest at the very least? Not that he had anything better to do, but after last night, he didn't know if he'd be able to give his full self to the mission. He finally reached the designated area, where he saw Selphie, the Headmaster and two Garden faculties standing there. Once reaching them, he was informed that they were still waiting for Zell, the last member of this Squad. After a fair five minutes, on of the faculties looked angrily at his watch.

- _"One more minute…"_ he said.

            Right on cue, a T-Board appeared flying out of Garden, with Zell riding on top of it. He swayed in the air in a slightly showy manner and stopped near the Garden Faculty.

- _"Made it!"_ Zell said excitedly.

- _"T-Boards are **prohibited** within Garden. Have you forgotten?"_ The faculty hissed at him.

- _"Oops, sorry!"_ apologized Zell _"But this is **really** cool. It may come in handy on a SeeD mission, someday."_

- _"We'll be the judges of that."_ the faculty spat back, taking the board from Zell's hands _"Confiscate it."_ he said, handing it to the other faculty. Zell looked dejected beyond belief _"All of you are members of SeeD, but… Nevertheless, you're still students at this Garden. Furthermore, because you are SeeDs, you must set an example to all others and abide by the Garden's rules. **Understood**!?"_ he finished. Zell nodded.

- _"Well, about your first mission…"_ Cid began _"You are to go to Timber. There, you will be supporting a resistance faction. That is your mission. A member of the faction will contact you at the Timber Station."_

- _"This person will talk to you and say, 'the forests of Timber sure have changed'."_ the faculty said _"At this time, you must reply, 'But the owls are still around'. That is the password."_

- _"Just follow the Faction's orders."_ added Cid.

- _"Uhh… Just us three?"_ asked Zell, puzzled.

- _"Correct. We have agreed to do this mission for very little money. Normally, we would never accept such requests, but-"_ said the faculty.

- _"Enough talk about that."_ interrupted Cid _"Well then, Squall, you are the squad leader. Use your best judgment based on the situation. Zell and Selphie, you are to support Squall and give your all to carry out the faction's plans."_ he added _"Oh, and Squall, I forgot to give you this." _he said, handing Squall something that looked like a lantern_ "It's a cursed item, but if one with enough power uses it, it should be of great help."_

****

Squall took the lantern and nodded at Cid. He and his team left the Gates, taking the route towards the city. They only way to get to Timber through Balamb, was via train. The last thing Squall needed right now, was to **walk** to the city. Add the fact that they came into a **really** tight spot when –after a very annoying period of five minutes in which Selphie bugged Squall to check out the lamp- they came face-to-face with Diablos, a demonic GF and you'll realize why Squall felt exhausted by now. At least they had one more GF in their possession right now. Squall already had Quetzalcoatl, Instructor Trepe had been kind enough to lend Siren to Selphie after they got acquainted at the party last night –when Selphie was trying to get her to be one of the teachers participating in the Garden Festival- and now Zell had Diablos. Before Squall knew it, he was slouched on the couch of their SeeD cabin in the train, next to a very excited Zell. After filling him in on the history of Timber, he's taken a hint and had shut up, letting Squall rest. He was now reading the first Volume of a magazine called 'Pet pals'. Selphie had been wandering around the train corridor, looking out of the window and singing some annoying song about trains. Suddenly, the doors opened and she came inside, staggering.

- _"I'm not… feeling well…"_ she mumbled.

- _"You should get some rest if you're tired."_ Squall advised her

- _"I'm really sleepy…"_ she said.

- _"You OK?"_ asked Squall in concern.

- _"Hey…? Huh? What the…?! Somethin's wrong with me, too… I… feel… sleepy…"_ said Zell.

            He let the magazine fall down from his hands and tilted his head to the side, closing his eyes. Right on cue, Selphie fell down to the floor unconscious.

            **_'What's going on?'_** Squall thought, getting up, looking at his two teammates frantically **_'Ugh?! …What is this?'_**

            He tried to make it to the couch, but tripped and fell down, feeling his consciousness leaving him behind… 

                                                                                                                                                   *******

            The next thing Squall remembered, was opening his eyes and looking at the SeeD cabin once more. The voice of the train conductor was announcing their arrival to Timber. Squall slowly pushed himself up from the floor, shaking his head. He'd had the weirdest dream… He saw that he was some moron named Laguna, fighting for the Galbadian army with two peers. And then he somehow ended up in Deling City at some bar, gawking at a piano player in a red dress. Weird dream indeed. Getting up on his feet, he noticed Selphie and Zell coming about as well. Supposing that the reason they'd all fallen asleep like that could have been some sort of sleeping gas, they got ready to leave their cabin, when Selphie talked about the 'nice' dream she had. At first, Squall didn't give much into it, but when he heard the name 'Laguna' come out of her mouth, it definitely caught his attention. Strangely enough, Zell recognized that name as well. As it turned out, they'd all shared the same dream. Deciding there was no way they could comprehend what had happened, they chose to concentrate on their mission and forget about the incident for the moment.

            The moment they left the train and stepped outside to Timber, a plump guy who looked about their age approached them and spoke.

- _"Oh, the forests of Timber sure have changed!"_

            Squall recognized the code-phrase immediately and reciprocated with the password. The guy's face lightened up and he welcomed the trio in Timber. For some reason he kept calling Squall 'sir'… They three young SeeDs followed the boy to a small yellow train wagon parked nearby and entered it. As they were informed, that was the base of the 'Forest Owls'. They were introduced to Watts, the guy who'd brought them there and another one, with black spiky hair and short pants named Zone. Apparently, those two were the two thirds of the leaders of the group. The only person they had yet to meet was their 'Princess'. Zone asked Squall to go and get the Princess who was having her 'nap time'. After giving him a piece of his mind for making him run errands, Squall was on his way down the corridor to that girl's room. 

            Stopping outside, he knocked on the door. He got no response, so he hesitantly entered. He came face-to-face with a pink room, in the middle of which a big double bed stood. The girl Zone and Watts had called 'Princess' was lying on it, sleeping. She was dressed in a long blue duster and a black camisole and shorts underneath, not bothering to take off her boots while sleeping. Her long raven hair were sprawled on half the pillow, as she was hugging the rest of it. Once hearing Squall enter, she stirred and fluttered her eyelids open, revealing a pair of chocolate brown eyes. Squall's eyebrows arched. It was…

- _"Hey…You're…! You know, from the party…"_ she exclaimed, beating him to it _"So… does that mean… You're a SeeD?!"_ Squall nodded.

- _"I'm Squall, the squad leader. There's two others with me."_

            The girl swiftly got out of bed and jumped up on Squall, hugging him. Squall's eyes widened, as he spun around and placed her down.

- _"YEEESSSS! SeeD is here!" _the girl squealed in delight.

- _"Take it easy." _Squall said, cracking a faint grin.

- _"It's just that, I'm so happy!" _said the girl _"I've been sending requests to Garden forever, but nothing… I'm so glad I spoke to Cid directly!"_

- _"Oh…" _Squall said, nodding _"So you were looking for the headmaster at the party?"_ he asked.

- _"Yes. You know Seifer?"_ she asked, frowning a bit.

- _"…Yeah."_ Squall replied. **He** frowned a lot more.

- _"Well, he's the one who kinda introduced me to Cid."_ Rinoa replied _"Cid is such a nice man. I really didn't think SeeD would come out to help a measly little group like us. But after explaining our situation to him, Cid gave the go ahead right away!"_ she explained cheerfully _"Now that you guys are here, we'll be able to carry out all kinds of plans!"_

- _"Right… Well, I'm goin' back to the others."_ Squall said.

- _"OK, let's go!"_ the girl exclaimed and made a move to head to the door. She turned around and spoke again _"Umm, Squall. Is 'he' here?"_ she asked, looking a bit nervous. Squall cocked an eyebrow **_'He?'_ **Squall wondered _"Seifer."_ the girl added.

- _"Oh. No, he's not here."_ Squall replied.

- _"OK."_ said the girl nodding. If Squall wasn't mistaken, she looked kind of relieved… _"Oh yeah,"_ she added, slapping her forehead _"My name's Rinoa. Very pleased to meet you, Squall."_

            The two shook hands and were about to exit the room, when a brown furred dog approached her and barked standing on its hind feet. Rinoa smiled and pet it on the head.

- _"Here, let me introduce you."_ she said smiling, turning to Squall _"This is my partner, Angelo. He's really smart!"_

- _"I bet…"_ said Squall a bit indifferently and walked out of the room.

- _"I have some important work to do now. Be good, Angelo."_ Rinoa said to her dog, following Squall outside _"Hey…" _she said, before leaving the room, grabbing his sleeve.

- _"Yes?" _Squall asked.

- _"Thanks a lot. For last night I mean… I wasn't feeling well and it you were really nice to me…" _she said, smiling warmly at him **_'I was?' _**Squall wondered.

- _"Think nothing of it." _he said shrugging and left the room.

* * *

**A/N:** *Phew* That was a handful… Oh and on the subject of Angelo's sex… I can't recall if there's a point in the game where Rinoa refers to Angelo as a 'he' or a 'she', but I figured that Angelo is a male name, so I made it a 'he'.****

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Seifer finds out about the mission to Timber._

_And he's pissed._

_Oh-so-very pissed…_

_So he rushes to Timber to aid the situation, but his plan has a tiny little flaw…_

_He has forgotten about a certain blonde, who won't let him go that easily…_

_My take on the trip to Timber ^_~_


	13. Chapter 12: The journey to Timber

**A/N:** Hello guys! What's up?

As promised, this chapter in my own version of what happened from the moment Seifer found out about the mission in Timber. The game only gave out some of the things he said, through Quistis, but nothing else was revealed, although it was certain they traveled together. So, what you're about to read, is what my deranged mind, along with the aid of my psycho Muse, Sal, came up.

I was looking for an obscene song for this chapter… Well, I didn't need to look far… The name popped right into my head: Marilyn Manson ^_^  I just love that guy… Anyway, the song sung by Seifer is called err… _'Sl**garden'_, it comes from their latest album _'Golden Age of Grotesque'_ and as you might have guessed… I **don't own the song or the band**.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Squall passes his SeeD exam and attend the inauguration Ball. He meets up with Rinoa there, after a quarrel she had with Seifer, which terminated their relationship. The following day, he gets sent on his very first mission to Timber, along with Zell and Selphie. There, they meet the rebel group they're helping out, leader of which is none other that Rinoa…_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                              Chapter 12: ****The**** journey to Timber**

* * *

* * *

            Quistis walked inside the Disciplinary Room, holding her binder and a stack of test papers right underneath her armpit. She had to finish grading them and since she had been asked to keep an eye on the person who was under detention, she had decided to do the grading in the Disciplinary Room. She was more than surprised to find an all too familiar blond, sulking, slouched in the front row with his legs plopped onto the desk.

- _"Seifer?" _Quistis asked puzzled _"**You**'re the one in detention?"_

- _"You'd think they don't put SeeDs under detention…" _he said shrugging _"I don't get it either…"_

- _"You're the Head of the Disciplinary Committee for Hyne's sake! Aren't you supposed to **reinforce** the rules?" _she asked, dropping her things onto her desk.

- _"Gotta break a few rules to reinforce them, Instructor…" _he said smirking.

- _"*Sigh* You're unbelievable…" _the blonde said, shaking her head in disbelief.

            She sat behind her desk and instantly concentrated on her papers. Seifer fidgeted around for a bit, trying to find a way to pass his time… He **really** couldn't stand staying still. And he **really** didn't like silence… **_'Maybe I oughta liven this tête-à-tête up a bit…'_** he thought, the gears inside his brain starting to spin like crazy.

            Quistis was engrossed in her grading, trying hard not to laugh with some of her students' responses.

**_'7. Name the eight elements used most commonly in battle: _**

****

**_Fire, Ice, Thunder, Water, Earth, Love, Friendship, Unity.'                     _**

****

**_'*Scoff* You forgot 'Peace', dude…' _**she thought, giving the student six points for a half-correct answer.****

****

****

**_'8.Give the proper etiquette used when addressing a highly ranked political persona:_**

****

**_I refuse to answer this question as I believe that it is highly dependable on the credibility and demeanor of said political persona. Seeing as there are not many nowadays who are worthy of meeting the people's high standards, I believe I would not address him/her at all.'     _**

****

**_'*Snort* I'll give him two points just for making me laugh…' _**thought the blonde Instructor, shaking her head in disbelief.

            It is a proven fact that the average human cannot concentrate fully for longer than a period of time on the scale from one to eight seconds, as their minds tend to wander off, even for the slightest amount of time. In addition, it is proven that the longest period of time during which a person is able to retain concentration is about thirty seconds. Quistis Trepe was proud to be one of the few people that were able to concentrate hard on their work and seemed to get very close to the aforementioned 'record'. However, she couldn't possibly ignore the humming sound that was now reaching her ears. Unfortunately enough, the humming gradually, yet swiftly, turned into singing…

- _"… I can't believe that you are for real, but I don't care as long as you're mine…" _

            Quistis' eyes rolled upwards and glanced through the empty space of air before her, right above her glasses which had slipped down her nose. A fair eyebrow arched. Seifer was still in the same position as before, allegedly examining his gunblade while singing in supposed boredom. In a decent and quite sensual singing voice by the way… **_'But that's not the point…'_** Quistis shook her self mentally. She knew all too well that he was only doing this to piss her off…

- _"…When I said 'we', you know I meant 'me'. And when I said 'sweet' I meant 'dirty'…" _he chorused.

- _"Seifer, do you mind? I'm trying to work here…" _said Quistis impatiently.

            To no avail though… The blond completely ignored her and smirked. He even had the nerve to start singing even more loudly…

- _"…When I said 'we', you know I meant 'me'. And when I said 'sweet' I meant 'dirty'…" _he went on.

- _"Seifer, cut it out! I'm an Instructor and can get you in more detention any time!"_ Quistis threatened him, banging her palms on the desk, getting up from her chair.

            Seifer chuckled for a moment, but then resumed his singing… Quistis was enraged… And where had she heard this song before? Yes, she was certain she had heard it again… And if she wasn't mistaken, something incredibly obscene followed these lyrics…

- _"…I'm unsafe, I'm unsafe…" _sang Seifer, his expression no deviously mischievous. Quistis' eyes widened.

- _"Seifer stop it!" _she hissed. 

- _"…I won't repent and so…"_ he went on, now with an even more –if it was possible- devious look on his face.

- _"Seifer, I'm warning you!" _Quistis now shouted.

- _"…I memorize the words to the porno movies…It's the only thing I wanna believe…" _he sang, almost yelling. 

            Quistis got up and furiously strode over to him; he was now laughing his heart out while singing

- _"…I memorize the words to the porno movies… This is a new religion to me…"_

            She grabbed his vest and pulled his face close to hers. Although quite surprised, he masked it well with yet another smirk.

- _"I may not be your Instructor anymore, but I **am** your superior, so you'll pay me some Hyne damn **respect**!" _she hissed.

- _"Wait till you hear the last part, it's even better!" _he said chuckling, completely un-phased from her previous threat.

            Quistis let out a groan of indignation and let him go, turning her heel. She decided to simply ignore him. He was only trying to get under her skin… Yes, all she had to do was ignore him…

- _"I never believed the Devil was real, but Hyne couldn't make someone filthy as you…" _

_            **'Relax Quistis… Don't let him get to you… IGNORE him, that's it… Ignore him…'**_

****

****

- _"…When I said 'we', you know I meant 'me'. And when I said 'sweet' I meant 'dirty'…"_

_            **'Just block your ears from this… It's only a damn song…'**_

****

****

- _"…When I said 'we', you know I meant 'me'. And when I said 'sweet' I meant 'dirty'…"_

_            **'You can do it… Just don't pay attention to the lyrics…'**_

****

****

- _"…You are the church…"_

_            **'Oh no…' **_her eyes flew open **_'Argh! JUST – DON'T – LISTEN!"_**

****

****

- _"…I am the steeple…"_

_            **'He's**** not gonna say the rest… right? RIGHT?!'** _her hand moved unconsciously to her whip suspending from her belt in her hip.

- _"…When we fuck we're all Hyne's people…"_

_            **'That's IT!' **_

            Seifer failed to see the stinging tail of the Red Scorpion coming right at him. Even his impeccable reflexes couldn't match those of Quistis when infuriated. The whip coiled around his wrists and he found himself pulled down abruptly, his back making hard contact with the floor below. Before he even had time to blink, Quistis was already standing above him, the bottom of her boot pressing hard on his throat.

- _"Dammit Trepe! It was only a fucking song!" _he hissed, coughing as the boot pressed harder on his gullet.

- _"Really, have you **no** shame?!" _Quistis shouted _"You're already in detention -for Hyne knows **what**- and you're doing such obscenities in front of an Instructor?!"_

- _"Oh, so that's what it's all about!" _he said knowingly _"You wanna know what I did…"_

- _"What?" _Quistis said bemused.

- _"You're dying to hear why I'm here, aren't you?" _he asked chuckling.

- _"No!" _said Quistis _"I'm **dying** to get out of this place to get some peace!"_

- _"Aw, c'mon! Admit it!" _he said smirking.

- _"I don't **care **what you did, Seifer! But I'm starting to think that **you're** dying to tell me!" _Quistis retorted.

- _"Well, if you **must** insist…" _he said shrugging. Quistis rolled her eyes _"Xu caught me handing out some pamphlets and she was rather… disturbed, with the material presented…" _

- _"Oh dear Hyne… What did you do to her **this** time?" _asked Quistis, almost afraid of his answer.

- _"Let's just say that my damn wicked computer skills created a more… revealing version of Xu…" _he said smirking.

- _"*Scoff* As if you could actually handle a computer…" _said Quistis.

- _"Oh no?" _asked Seifer arching a fair eyebrow _"Heh… Then it's true that nobody suspects a hacker…"_

- _"So you're telling me that **you** are a computer-wiz?" _asked Quistis in disbelief.

- _"Among other amazing skills o' mine… yes." _he said smirking. Quistis was still staring at him in disbelief _"Still not buying it, eh?" _he asked. Quistis shook her head _"Alright then… You asked for it…" _Quistis raised an eyebrow _"Where do you think the Trepies got a hold of those pictures from, about a year ago?"_

            Quistis' eyes widened saucer-like.

**_                                                                                                                                          **FLASHBACK**_**

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****

****

- _"Dude! Check these out!" _whispered a boy to his classmate right next to him.

- _"What?"_

- _"It's pics of Instructor Trepe!" _

- _"Big deal… We can see the living version everyday…"_

- _"**Naked**!"_

- _"WHAT?!"_

            Quistis stopped writing on the board and turned around.

- _"What's going on back there?" _she asked.

- _"Uhh… Nothing, Instructor…" _stuttered the boys in unison.

- _"What's that you've got there?" _she asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"NOTHING!" _yelled both boys in terror.

            Quistis walked towards their desk and pulled whatever one of them had quickly shoved under his desk. The two boys shut their eyes in dread and winced at what was about to follow. Quistis brought what were obviously pictures in front of her. Her jaw dropped…

**_                                                                                                                                 **END OF FLASHBACK**_**

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                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

****

- _"Ha! I win!" _said a red-haired girl.

- _"*Grunt* Pick a card…" _said the blond boy she was playing with, resentfully.

            The two teenagers were sitting in the hallway by the elevator, playing Triple Triad.

- _"We agreed we'd play with the 'All' trading rule!" _protested the girl.

- _"We did not!"_

- _"We did so!"_

- _"Did not!"_

- _"Did so!"_

- _"AAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!"_

            The two cadets froze in position upon hearing the scream which came piercing the air.

- _"What was that?!" _asked the boy.

- _"I dunno… I think it came from the Disciplinary Room…"_ replied the girl. 

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 **__**

- _"UNGH! *Choke* C'mon Trepe! *Cough* No-one believed *Gurgle* it was you *Gag* in the pictures!" _Seifer tried to speak.

            Quistis was on top of him, her right knee pressing his chest hard, while her left heel was resting on the floor, leg sprawled over his right shoulder. Her whip was looped around his neck and she was pulling it with all the strength she could muster. Seifer's face was dangerously turning from red to purple and his hands were gripping the whip around his neck tightly, trying to break free and –most importantly- breathe.

- _"DO YOU HAVE **ANY** IDEA HOW **HUMILIATING** THOSE PICTURES WERE?!" _she screamed.

- _"Well *Cough* that was the idea…" _he smirked-slash-winced.__

            Quistis pulled the whip even harder.

- _"ARGH! OK, OK! *Cough* I'm **sorry**! *Cough* Now let me *Gurgle* breathe, dammit!" _he choked.

            Grinning, Quistis loosened her whip. She had just made Seifer Almasy actually **apologize **to a person. Seifer drew a huge breath as soon as his throat was whip-free and rubbed his sore skin. Quistis fell back on the floor, right in the opening between Seifer's legs. Her own were sprawled on each side of his waist and she was breathing heavily, recoiling her whip back in place.

- _"I swear Trepe, if you ever-" _said Seifer, getting up.

            He had a threatening expression on his face, but was suddenly caught off in mid-sentence and both his eyebrows arched. A smirk was plastered wide on his face as his eyes rested in the opening of her skirt.

- _"What **now**?!" _asked Quistis narrowing her eyes.

- _"Pink thong… Niiiice…" _he said, rubbing his chin.__

            Quistis' cheeks blushed furiously. She was embarrassed. And furious. And agitated. And enraged. Did I mention pissed? Letting out a shriek, she literally jumped onto Seifer and grabbed his throat in both hands. Seifer's eyes shot open and he found himself lying with his back on the floor once again.  

- _"I – AM – GOING – TO – **KILL** – YOU!" _Quistis hissed, shaking with anger.

            Seifer was staring at her completely shocked. He'd never seen her like that before… He must have **really** done it this time… 

                        _It is my humble opinion that you should really reconsider your 'way' with women, master…_

_            **'And it's MY humble opinion that you should really SHUT UP, Ifrit!' **_Seifer thought, trying to figure out a way out of this. 

            Fortunately for him, her cell-phone chose that Hyne-sent moment to ring. Mumbling some incoherent words between gritted teeth, Quistis got up and walked to her desk. She ran a hand through her blond locks, took a deep breath and answered the call. Seifer wasn't an idiot to ignore the golden opportunity given to him and took advantage of it, getting up. He adjusted his clothes and began dusting himself off, when something Quistis said on the phone caught his attention.

- _"… tried to kidnap Deling?!" _asked Quistis stunned _"But I thought that wasn't what the mission was about… *Pause* A set-up? *Pause* And who did they put instead? *Pause* Well it makes sense… He's got many spies lying around, it was more than certain that he'd get to them… *Pause* So where are they now? *Pause* Oh no… *Pause* What are we going to do? Did you talk to Cid about this? *Pause* Do you think we should get down there? *Pause* Is he certain he'll be able to sort this out? *Pause* Alright, I'll keep on stand-by… Call me again if you hear anything new, OK? Bye." _she said, terminating the call.

- _"What happened?" _asked Seifer, so casually as if nothing had happened before.

- _"Something went wrong with a mission in Timber…" _said Quistis worriedly, her too seeming to have forgotten the whole issue. 

- _"__Mission__?" _Seifer asked curiously, folding his arms in front of his chest.

- _"Some mission they sent Squall, Zell and Selphie on. They were supposed to help some rebel group in Timber." _replied Quistis.

- _"What group?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"I can't tell you. It's classified information." _replied Quistis, returning to her chair.

            Seifer strode over to her and grabbed her left wrist.

- _"A friend of mine is involved in such a group, **Instructor**, and from what I heard, something went wrong. So she might be in danger." _he said narrowing his eyes at her _"Now… **Which** group?"_

            Quistis swung her arm free and looked at him sternly.

- _"Are you telling me the truth?" _she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

- _"**Yes**. Now for the last Hyne damn time: **Which** group?" _he asked, placing his palms flat on the desk.

- _"You promise you'll tell no-one I spoke of this?" _she asked, pointing a finger at him.

- _"**YES! **Now **tell **me!" _he said exasperated.

- _"From what I've been told, they're called the '__Forest__ Owls'." _said Quistis. Seifer's eyes widened _"Squall and his team are supposed to aid them gain Timber's liberation."_

- _"WHAT?!" _roared Seifer _"As if it wasn't enough that Rinoa is over in Timber, working her ass off with the **lamest** group alive…"_

- _"Who's Rinoa?" _asked Quistis, arching an eyebrow.

- _"I don't believe this…" _said Seifer pacing back and forth, completely ignoring Quistis' question _"They might end up fightin' the whole Galbadian force! And all they dispatch are three rookie SeeD members?! Dammit! I'm going to Timber!" _he said, rushing over to the desk he was sitting on before.

            He grabbed his Hyperion, which lay on the desk all this time, and ran towards the door. Quistis sprinted there first and blocked the entrance.

- _"Seifer, you're not going anywhere!" _she hissed _"I've already given you out classified information, **foolishly** as it turns out, and you most certainly will **NOT** blow my cover. Besides, you're in **detention **for another," _She checked her watch _"Half an hour! Now go back to your seat!" _she ordered.

- _"Trepe, move out of the way or I won't hesitate to resort to violence…" _said Seifer through gritted teeth.

- _"NO!" _yelled Quistis.

- _"I said," _spat Seifer, pushing her away from the door _"MOVE!"_

            He opened the door and broke into a run down the hallway. Quistis cursed under her breath and ran after him.

- _"SEIFER ALMASY, GET BACK HERE!"_

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            Seifer barged inside the Parking Lot breathing heavily. Beads of sweat were beginning to collect on his forehead and body, as he looked around the hall. He spotted a black SeeD car and ran towards it, pulling the door open. Right on cue, Quistis came panting inside. She barely saw the door of the black SeeD car closing and ran over to it. Seifer had just turned the engine on, when she opened the passenger door and stepped inside as well.

- _"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" _she hissed _"You can't take a Garden car!"_

- _"I can and I will. Now get out, Trepe!" _he retorted, switching the engine off.

- _"I'm not getting out without you!" _

- _"Have it your way…" _said Seifer smirking and turned the key in the ignition.

- _"Seifer, don't you **dare**-"_ threatened Quistis.

            Too late. Seifer had already stepped hard on the gas petal and the car sped off and out of the Parking Lot. Quistis fell back on her seat and gripped the sides so hard, her knuckles turned white. Hastily, she grabbed her seatbelt and fastened it.

- _"Glad to see I'll have some company on the way to Timber…" _said Seifer smirking, stepping even harder on the gas.    

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall was leaning against the wall of the 'Forest Owls' wagon inside the main room. He had his arms folded in front of his chest. Zell and Selphie were standing by his sides, both just as pissed as him. Rinoa was pacing back and forth before them, looking down at the floor, sulking. Zone was standing in a corner and Watts had wandered off somewhere. Squall didn't know nor care where… But what he **did** know, was that this was his first mission and things couldn't be going any worse. He was under a contract with what was possibly the worst rebel group in history. Hell, the worst group, period. These people were completely clueless. They just sat down for five minutes, set up what was supposedly a strategy and went for it heads on. No wonder they'd just failed miserably…

- _"Man, I can't believe the President was a fake…" _mumbled Zone.

- _"I can't believe we fell for it!" _said Rinoa, stopping to walk.

            Squall resisted the urge to retort **_'No shit.'_** and just tried to swallow his fury. Just then, Watts came storming inside the room, an excited expression on his face.

- _"Info, sir! New info!" _Watts shouted gleefully.

            **_'Hyne, not again…' _**thought Squall.

- _"It's big news! I found out the real reason why the President's here sir! The President's going to the TV station! Security's real tight, sir!" _said Watts.

            Squall rolled his eyes as he went on about his 'exciting news'. Apparently, the President was planning on broadcasting a certain message to the entire world, hence choosing to use radio waves. Hence, choosing Timber, as their station was the only one who could handle broadcasts over the air.

- _"…Wouldn't it be wonderful if the first broadcast could be the declaration of Timber's independence?!" _said Rinoa cheerfully.__

- _"Hey! That might be possible!" _exclaimed Zone.__

- _"Let's come up with a plan then!" _suggested Rinoa _"Can you guys give us a minute?" _she asked the SeeDs.__

            All three nodded and plopped down on their knees, starting to discuss 'strategy'. Squall slapped his forehead and shook his head in disbelief **_'This is it… I'm doomed to serve these people eternally…'_**      

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Last call for Timber!" _the train conductor of Balamb Train Station called _"Last call for Timber! Everyone please board!"_

Seifer skidded towards the Ticket counter, closely followed by Quistis, who was still trying to persuade him to get back to Garden.

- _"Two tickets for Timber. And make it quick!" _he told the saleswoman.

            She gave him a disdainful look and cut two tickets, grabbing the two thousand Gil he'd slipped on the counter and checking his SeeD ID.

- _"There you go." _she told him and handed the tickets.

            Seifer grabbed the two slips of paper and sprinted inside the station, towards the train's boarding entrance. Quistis stepped up the small stairway behind him and came to a halt once inside the wagon.

- _"Your ticket…" _Seifer said smirking, handing her one slip.

- _"I can't believe I'm doing this…" _she mumbled under her breath, and took the little piece of paper.

- _"I reckon we should check our SeeD cabin out…" _said Seifer smugly, trotting towards the card receptor on the door, leading to the cabin hallway.

            He slid his ticket down the machine, opening the door. He did a mock-bow, motioning to Quistis to walk inside first. She rolled her eyes and grunted, making her way down the hallway. She checked her ticket and found their cabin, cabin 6A. She slipped her own ticket into the other receptor on the door, opening it. She stepped inside, Seifer following suit behind her. Quistis tediously walked towards the bed inside, where she collapsed, letting out a sigh of relief. Seifer arched an eyebrow at that and rubbed his chin.

- _"Damn Trepe, I was thinking we should take a shower or something first, but if you're up for it now… you're on…" _he said smirking, pretending to walk over to her with 'bad' intentions…

            Quistis swung her leg up, thrusting the bottom of her boot onto his chest.

- _"Couch." _she said narrowing her eyes, pointing at the sofa lying a few feet away. 

            Seifer chuckled and did as he was told. He slouched himself onto the couch and let out a sigh, similar to Quistis' previous one. They both felt exhausted; after their somewhat 'interesting' quarrel, they'd been running around Garden and Balamb, trying to catch the train on time. After a few moments of silence, Quistis sat up on the bed, resting on her elbows and looked at Seifer.

- _"Now… Since I've done the unthinkable and haven't actually reported you to Cid as I should have… You owe me an explanation. Why are we running off to Timber?" _she asked.

- _"I already told you; a friend of mine is leading this group you mentioned and I need to get down there to help. Skilled as Puberty-Boy might be-" _began Seifer.

- _"'Puberty-Boy'?" _Quistis asked, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Leonhart. It's a nickname I've given him…" _replied Seifer smirking, making Quistis roll her eyes _"So as I was saying… Skilled as Leonhart might be, you can't possibly expect those three to pull off something big like that. They need my help." _

- _"Your modesty never ceases to amaze me…" _said Quistis, shaking her head in disbelief.  

- _"It's the truth and we both know it." _snapped Seifer _"Cid should have known better than to send three brand new SeeDs, not to mention sending them on a mission with an objective more vague than the answer to the 'meaning of life'… Seriously now… **Liberate** Timber? What the hell was he thinking?!"_

- _"No arguments here…" _said Quistis. Seifer was right; it had been very foolish of Cid to give out such a mission, much less to three new SeeDs.

- _"Damn straight…" _said Seifer cockily.

            Quistis rolled her eyes for yet another time that day. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, then at the brooding blond lying lazily on the couch. Maybe Seifer should be given more credit… Even though he acted like an overly grown five-year-old most of the time, he seemed to be much more than what he let others believe… Thoughtless and impulsive as his most recent action was, it **did** serve a valiant purpose. He was risking his rank –not to mention neck- to run off and help a friend in need. Gallant indeed… Who was he anyway? The only friends he seemed to have, were Fujin and Raijin… He? Wait a second; hadn't he said back in Garden that it was a girl? Yes, yes… Someone named… Rania? Or something like that… Could it be his **girlfriend**? It would make sense… Quistis didn't know why, but that thought made her feel a slight stinging at the pit of her stomach… Weird…

- _"Seifer…?" _she said suddenly.

- _"Hmm?" _

- _"This… friend of yours… in Timber… What was her name again?" _she asked, trying to sound casual.

- _"Why do you care?" _he asked, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Just out of curiosity…" _Quistis said, shrugging.

- _"*Pause* Rinoa." _Seifer replied laconically. Quistis bit her lip and blurted out the next question.

- _"Your… girlfriend?" _she asked hesitantly.

- _"I'm not answering that." _Seifer said coldly, glaring at her **_'Touchy, touchy…' _**Quistis thought.

- _"Why not?" _she asked.

- _"Because I said so, Trepe."_ he retorted in a somewhat hostile manner.

- _"What's the big deal? I'm not judging you or anything! It's a simple yes or no question!" _Quistis said exasperated.

- _"It's none of your damn business!"_ he replied loudly, sitting up on the couch, facing her.

- _"Oh, isn't it?" _she snapped, sitting up as well _"I'm risking by damn position for that girl. Shouldn't I at least know who the heck she is?!"_

- _"No-one asked you to come!" _

- _"You practically **kidnapped **me here!"_

- _"When the fuck did I ever do **that**?!"_

- _"When you drove off with me inside the car!"_

- _"You could have gotten off when I told you so, Trepe…" _he said shrugging.

- _"Will you just answer the damn question and get on with it?!"_

- _"NO! She's **not** my girlfriend! Not anymore! We're friends now! Happy?!" _hissed Seifer, falling back on the couch.

- _"Thank you." _she replied grinning, lying back down as well _"**I** win this time…" _

- _"Tsk, whatever…"_ said Seifer, shaking his hands in the air indifferently. Quistis chuckled _"What's supposed to be so damn funny?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"You and Squall are more alike than you think…" _she said grinning.

- _"Alright Trepe…" _he said crankily, getting up _"I kept my patience with the whole 'girlfriend' issue, but now you've asked for it!"_

            He walked over to her and grabbed her right leg.

- _"Seifer, what are you- ARGH!" _Quistis shrieked as Seifer pulled her off the bed.

            She winced as her back made hard contact with the floor. Seifer kept holding her leg up, looking down at her, smirking.

- _"Say you're sorry." _he said sternly.

- _"Or **what**?" _she hissed.

- _"Say you're sorry, or else I'll be staring at your little pink thong all day!" _he said in a devilish manner, looking down through the opening of her skirt.

Quistis' eyes shined with embarrassment and rage. She swung her free leg, hitting him square on the cheekbone, sending him wincing on the floor. Not losing a second, she tackled him and pinned his wrists on the floor. Seifer chuckled and smirked.

- _"C'mon Trepe, don't make me hurt you… We **both** know I'm stronger than you…" _he said.

            Quistis was about to retort something, when he slid one leg free and swung it in the air, making them both roll on the floor. Quistis winced and when she opened her eyes, **she** was the one pinned on the floor, Seifer on top of her.

- _"Told ya." _he said sneering.

            The blonde struggled hard to escape his grip, but to no avail. He was **damn** strong! And the little bastard had made sure he'd secured her legs under his as well. 

- _"And **now**, we'll talk about your punishment…" _Seifer said, leaning down close to her.

Quistis' eyes widened. The damned jerk knew **exactly** how to threaten her. All he had to do was touch her, get close to her. Proximity was more than enough to bring her in an uncomfortable state… And as he stood above her, towering her, his jade gaze piercing through her, she felt her heart pounding like a drum at a rock concert; wildly. She wasn't certain what he **really** had in mind, but, alas, she never found out, as the train conductor chose that particular time to announce their arrival in Timber. 

            Seifer's head jerked upwards, breaking the connection of their long-time stares. He swiftly got off her and back up to his feet. He grabbed his Hyperion from the couch nearby, suspending it from his belt. Quistis was still trying to sit up on the floor when he tossed her her whip. She grabbed it and coiled it around its usual place on her belt. She made a move to get up, but Seifer did it for her account, by grabbing her wrist and yanking her upwards.

- _"Come on, Instructor!" _he said sportingly _"We don't have all day!" _he added, dragging her to the exit _"We can discuss your spanking later." _he finished, winking at her.

- _"My **WHAT**?!"_        

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall, Rinoa, Selphie and Zell got off the wagon of the 'Forest Owls', closely followed by Watts. The latter walked right in front of them and spoke.

- _"Say! I remember now, sir! I think the TV Station is located behind a building called Timber Maniacs! Please head in that direction, sir! I hope you find it!"_ he said.

- _"WaaaaaaTTTS!!! C'MON! The Galbadian soldiers are comin'!!!"_ Zone yelled from inside the wagon.

            Behind Watts, the train had already started moving.

- _"Uhh… Mr. Watts…" _began Selphie, pointing at the wagon, but he seemed to be too engrossed on what he was saying to pay attention to her.

- _"…Lots of guards patrolling the city now! Please be careful, sir!" _he went on.

- _"Hey, dude… The carriage…"_ said Zell, looking at the wagon moving away.

- _"…Seems like the hotel's not available, either! Should you need to recover, use the Owl's Tear sir! Heard it works wonders! I believe you can find it at the old man's house…" _continued Watts.

- _"Umm…" _Squall begun.

- _"…I guess you won't be needing it anyway. You're all SeeDs, you'll be fine, right, sir!?"_ finished Watts.

- _"_**_Watts_**_!" _yelled Rinoa.

- _"What?" _asked Watts innocently.

- _"**The** **carriage**!"_ shouted everyone in unison, even Squall.

            Watts turned around, watching the wagon leave without him. He broke into a run and ran on the tracks, following it.

- _"Hey…!!! Don't leave me, siiiiiiiiiiir!" _he shouted.

            Rinoa shook her head in disbelief. She turned around and began trotting towards the town Square.

- _"Follow me!" _she said sportingly.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"I can't believe you Seifer!" _said Quistis irritably.

- _"What did I do **now**?!" _asked Seifer exasperated.

- _"**Beating** a soldier **isn't** the best way to extract information from him!"_ she hissed _"I don't know how the hell you passed the SeeD exam without knowing that!"_

- _"I **do** know it… I just choose not to use it…" _he replied smirking _"'Sides… It got us the info, didn't it?"_

- _"Even though it did, we'll be damn lucky if we don't have half the Galbadian army on our tail now!"_ she retorted.

- _"Figures…"_ said Seifer indifferently.

            The pair was walking towards the Train Station and had just reached the stairway, when they heard shouts right behind them.

- _"THERE THEY ARE!" _yelled a Galbadian, followed by a swarm of other blue-clad soldiers.

- _"Aw shit!" _cursed Seifer, grabbing Quistis' hand, breaking into a run down the stairs _"You're a fucking **jinx** Trepe, you know that?!"_

- _"Oh, so it's **my** fault now?!" _yelled Quistis. 

            The two blonds ran down the stairway and into the bar before them. They sprinted right through it, towards the exit, ignoring the puzzled looks on all the attendants' faces, when Quistis came to a halt, pulling Seifer back.

- _"Wait!" _

- _"What for?! They'll gain on us!" _yelled Seifer exasperated.

- _"They'll **expect **us to run down this exit! We'll hide in the bar, it's dark in there!" _she said, pulling him back in.

            She ran into a corner, hastily removing her hair clip, then following suit in pulling Seifer's trench coat off.

- _"Trepe, this ain't the best time to be gettin' it on, you know!" _Seifer said half-smirking, half-looking worried.

- _"Shut it you idiot! I'm just making sure we won't get recognized!" _she spat back.

- _"Oh right! **No-one's** gonna recognize you with your hair down and me without my coat!" _he said sarcastically.

- _"I'm **thinking **here!" _said Quistis cantankerously.

            Right on cue, the Galbadians busted inside the bar. Seifer turned his back on them, cursing under his breath. Not knowing what else to do, he looked at Quistis and did the first thing that came in mind. He roughly grabbed her face in both palms and pressed his lips hard on hers. Quistis' eyes shot wide open and she was about to push him back, when she noticed that his deranged plan was actually working. The Galbadians couldn't see their faces, so they passed unnoticed and the squad ran right through the bar and towards the exit that she and Seifer had tried to escape only a little while ago. 

            She turned her attention back to him and was about to tell him it was safe and to let go, when she sensed his tongue darting into her mouth and heard a soft moan escape his lips. He had his eyes closed and he wasn't tensed up like seconds ago, but relaxed and calm. And if Quistis wasn't mistaken, he seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit as well… She let out a moan of protest and pushed her palms against his chest, but Seifer didn't seem eager to let go. On the contrary, he moved one hand down to her waist and slid the other on her nape. Quistis shivered at his touch and felt her stomach fluttering, her heart racing like mad. It felt damn good, but she had to tell him to let go, they had to go and help the others, they… **_'Oh fuck it!' _**Quistis thought and wrapped one arm around Seifer's neck, raking the other hand through his hair.

            After what seemed like ages, Seifer pulled back. Quistis slowly slid her eyes open and looked at him; he was breathing heavily and had his gaze locked on hers. His chest was touching her own and she could feel his wild heartbeat through their contact. Neither of them had moved their hands from their aforementioned positions. Quistis swallowed hard and tried to break the awkward silence.

- _"S-Seifer… I…It-" _she mumbled, but never finished her sentence.

            The door of the exit barged open and in came the soldiers again. The two blonds jerked their heads towards that spot momentarily and then looked back at each other. Before Quistis had time to even blink, Seifer pulled her back close to him and kissed her again.

- _"I don't know where the hell they went! We searched everywhere!" _protested one of the soldiers.

- _"Just forget about it and let's get out of here…" _suggested another.

            The door closed behind the small squad of soldiers, but Seifer and Quistis were still 'glued' on one another. Quistis didn't know whether the kiss –or rather kiss**es**- had meant anything more than just a means of cover. She could understand why Seifer had resorted to such a plan originally, but right now she couldn't help but feel that they'd long ago crossed the line between obligation and pleasure. And to be frank, she couldn't care less. For once in her life, she decided to just shut up and enjoy the moment. And enjoy it she did… 

            The pair seemed oblivious to the world around them, until they heard an all too familiar voice behind them.

- _"Is this your card?" _

            Seifer and Quistis slowly opened their eyes and stopped kissing, lips still united though, both cocking an eyebrow. 

- _"Huh…? It is! Why do you have it?!" _said another voice, unknown.

- _"Found it outside." _spoke the familiar voice again.

- _"Are you serious…? OK. Thanks! You know what? I'm feelin' generous! So you can keep that card. And also… this one! I'll move out of the way now…" _said the unknown voice.

            Footsteps were heard and the back door opened and closed once again. Quistis shot a sideways glance towards the door and Seifer tried to turn around a bit to catch a glimpse too. They turned their eyes back to each other and immediately pulled away. Blushing furiously, Quistis clipped her hair back in place, while Seifer put on his trench coat on, the tiniest of blushes spreading on his cheeks. Quistis adjusted her clothes and looked towards the exit.  

- _"Uhh… Was that-?"_ she began, trying to break the ice.

- _"Leonhart? Yeah, I thought so too…" _said Seifer.

- _"Right…" _said Quistis, nodding.

            They both stood still for a bit, avoiding each other's gazes. Seifer chewed on the interior of his cheek, while Quistis fidgeted around with a stray lock of hair.

- _"Err… Shall we?" _Seifer asked, motioning towards the door.

- _"Yeah let's go…"_ agreed Quistis.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The two blonds made their way towards the back door and out to the alley. They quickened their pace up a bit, upon hearing familiar voices down below. They sprinted along until they reached a few metal stairways, leading up to the TV station. They found Squall, Zell, Selphie and Rinoa standing there, obviously in the middle of what seemed like a quarrel.

- _"…Well, it's not! We're serious…" _spoke a raven-haired girl, who Quistis guessed was probably this 'Rinoa' _"So serious, it hurts…"_ she said, almost crying, and made a move to dash away, when…

- _"Rinoa!" _called Seifer.__

            The girl stopped in her tracks and looked down to where the familiar voice had come from. Quistis noticed the girl for the first time and the flashback of the dance the previous night came rushing in mind. It was the girl that she'd seen with Seifer and later on in the balcony talking to Squall. So **that** was Seifer's 'friend', for whom they'd rushed all the way to Timber for… 

- _"SEIFER?! What are **you** doing here?!" _Rinoa asked, completely bemused.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't get **too** excited about that kiss, mmmkay? Just wait and see (or rather **read** what will happen next…)

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The six teenagers barge inside the TV station, trying to stop the President's broadcast, when they come across a mysterious woman…_


	14. Chapter 13: The mysterious woman

**A/N:** Hey guys, s'up? 

I have an announcement to make to everyone who's reading my other story. I've been having a **major** writer's block on that one, so I won't be updating for a while. Don't worry, I'll **definitely **finish it. I don't like leaving stories hanging. It'll just take a while before I get the will and inspiration to continue with that story. It shouldn't be more than two or three weeks I suppose.

On the other hand, I'm progressing **really** well with this story. As a result, I decided never to do such a stupid thing again and take on two stories at the same time… Bad me… Anyway, I hope I'll get over it soon enough.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and Quistis spend some time inside the Disciplinary room, until Seifer learns about the mission in Timber and decides to rush down there and help. While trying to stop him, Quistis ends up 'tagging' along…_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                               Chapter 13: The mysterious woman**

* * *

* * *

- _"SEIFER?! What are **you** doing here?!"_ Rinoa asked, completely bemused.

- _"That's a very good question…" _Squall said, narrowing his eyes.__

            He began descending the metal stairway, walking towards his life-long rival. Although Seifer was a fair four inches taller than Squall, the latter was the only person Seifer could not cower. Even as the blond stood up straight, leering down at the brown-haired SeeD, Squall shared an equally threatening expression on his face.

- _"This is **our** mission, Seifer. We were the ones sent on it and you have no right whatsoever to be here." _Squall growled at him.

- _"*Scoff* And let's see who 'we' would be…" _Seifer said smirking, scanning around him _"I see shrimp over there," _he said, referring to Zell who clenched his fists and swore under his breath _"And…" _his eyes stopped on Selphie _"Who might **you** be?"_

- _"I'm Selphie Tilmitt." _Selphie replied proudly, hopping down the stairway in front of them.__

- _"Fascinating." _Seifer retorted sarcastically _"And how exactly do you fit in with the other two thirds of the 'Trio Stooges'?"_

- _"I met them during our SeeD exam," _Selphie began, obviously not 'getting' Seifer's mocking remark _"While delivering a message and-"_

- _"Ah." _Seifer interrupted her _"Well **now** I see why Cid decided to send **you** three of all people. A Puberty Boy, a Chicken-Wuss and a Messenger Girl all put together in one team. Now **that **will ensure Timber's liberation…"_

- _"What's the matter, Seifer? Disappointed that **you** weren't chosen at all for this mission?" _Squall asked sarcastically.__

- _"You wish. I **would** be chosen if it weren't for certain…err… responsibilities I needed to take care of…" _Seifer replied, crossing his arms.__

- _"He was in detention." _Quistis piped in, speaking for the first time.__

            Seifer turned around abruptly and shot her a poisonous glare as the rest sniggered audibly. Quistis blushed and turned away.

- _"Did Cid send you two here to help?" _Rinoa asked, having approached them as they talked.

- _"Not really." _Quistis replied shyly.__

- _"You just came down here to help the '__Forest__ Owls'?" _Rinoa asked, feeling touched.__

- _"I'm only here to make sure Garden's name won't be ridiculed of during this mission." _Seifer replied sternly, making her lower her head _"Even if Cid had sent his three best for the job, they'd still not be enough for something of this caliber."_

- _"I hate to admit it, but he's right." _Selphie spoke, crossing her arms.__

- _"Instructor Trepe, how could you have let him get away?" _Squall asked, turning over to Quistis _"You should have informed the Headmaster."_

            Quistis, who had been relatively quiet all this time, opened her mouth to speak, but Seifer beat her to it.

- _"The Instructor agrees with me, Leonhart." _he spat at him _"And from what I can see, so does your little co-worker over there." _he said, pointing towards Selphie.

- _"I got no orders to co-operate with you and by Hyne, I won't."_ Squall replied proudly.

- _"Wake up, Squally-boy."_ Seifer growled _"This isn't about you or me, it's about getting the fucking job done well. **Face it**. You **can't **do it alone."_

            Squall narrowed his eyes even more at the blond, feeling his insides rumble with fury. The damned bastard was right; they had to work together if they wanted to stand the slightest chance of success.

- _"Fine."_ Squall said laconically _"But don't you dare think that you'll get to order us all around just 'cause you trotted down here to act like a hero." _he added, pointing a threatening finger at him.

- _"Ooh! I know!" _piped in Selphie _"We'll hold a vote and see who'll be the leader between you two!"_

            Both Squall and Seifer turned around and glared at Selphie.

- _"It was just a thought!" _she protested.

- _"I agree." _Rinoa spoke.

- _"So do __I.__" _said Zell _"Instructor Trepe?" _he asked Quistis.

            Quistis seemed to have zoned out, staring at nowhere in particular, deep in thought.

- _"Instructor Trepe?" _Zell asked again, a bit louder.

- _"Yes?" _Quistis said, startled.

- _"Snap out of it, Trepe." _Seifer spat at her _"They're askin' if you want to hold a vote to decide on a leader between us."_ he added, cocking a sarcastic eyebrow at Squall.

- _"I agree." _she said, shrugging.

- _"Alrighty then!" _Selphie said enthusiastically _"Votes for Squall?"_ she asked.

            Everyone raised their hands. Seifer's eyes rested upon Quistis.

- _"You too, Brutus?" _he asked sarcastically.

- _"You kidnapped me, insult me on every given occasion and do everything within your power to,"_ Quistis hesitated _"Bring me before an awkward situation." _she finished, lowering her gaze from him, blushing _"What did you expect?"_

- _"Fine then. We're all under you command **Mr. Leader**." _Seifer said to Squall in a mocking tone _"Guide us, oh wise one."_

            Squall looked away, aggravated. He hadn't asked for this. He didn't want to be the 'leader' all of a sudden, taking responsibility for everyone there. Although it **had** felt good to be chosen over Seifer…

- _"So what are we gonna do about the Pres-" _Zell began, but was interrupted by the buzzing on the huge screen hanging from the wall across the stairway.

            The screen's image was mixed with parasites for a couple of seconds, until it became completely clear. The Timber TV station's set was apparent, and a man in a suit was standing before a pedestal. Everyone's attention concentrated onto the TV screen.

- _"T-Testing… 1… 2… Testing… Testing…"_ the man spoke _"Ohhh! P-People of the world! Can you see me!? Can you hear me!? Oh, this is incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it's been 17 years since a live broadcast has been possible! Oh, please excuse me… I seem to have lost my composure. We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling. Ladies and gentlemen, President Deling."_

            The President stepped over to the pedestal, as the announcer walked away.

- _"Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, lifelong president of Galbadia. Today, I stand…" _the President began to speak.

- _"We have to do something!" _Rinoa yelped.

- _"Come on, we have to stop the broadcast!" _Seifer yelled, storming up the stairs.

- _"That idiot is going to blow the whole thing!" _Squall growled, following Seifer up the stairs.

            The rest followed behind the two young men, running ad fast as they could, to prevent Seifer from doing anything stupid. Squall soon caught up with him on the stairs, only few feet away from the studio doorway, and grabbed his arm.

- _"I still don't get why the hell you showed up down here! What are you trying to do, ruin everything?!" _he yelled at the blond.

- _"I get it!" _Zell piped in from behind _"You're Rinoa's-"_

- _"Shut your damn mouth! You chicken!" _Seifer yelled at him.

            The two guards that were standing outside the door of the station ran towards the group of teenagers when they heard the commotion.

- _"What's going on here?" _asked one of them.

- _"What do you think you five are doing out here?" _asked the other one.

            **_'Oh Hyne, this is- Wait… 'You five'? But we're s-' _**Squall thought.

- _"Rinoa no!" _he yelled.

            The brunette, had seized the opportunity and had slipped away, now heading towards the TV station.

- _"Aw crap!" _Seifer swore, punching the two guards away, running after Rinoa. 

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer rushed into the set of the studio, Squall following behind him only seconds later. Both men's eyes widened at the sight. Rinoa was less than three feet away from the President, pointing her weapon at him, holding the entire TV crew back by threatening to harm Deling. Quistis barged inside, stumbling onto Seifer and took a step back, blushing. Zell and Selphie came right behind her.

_            **'Dammit… She's in for some real trouble now…'** _Squall thought.

- _"Rinoa step back!" _Zell yelled at her.

- _"Not until he liberates Timber." _Rinoa spoke _"The whole world is watching, President Deling. If you co-operate, you won't get hurt."_

- _"Rinoa, just calm down…" _Seifer spoke, slowly approaching her.

- _"Don't walk in there you idiot!" _Zell snapped _"You're going to get Garden in trouble!"_

- _"Shut up! NO!" _Squall yelled at Zell, who realized his mistake only too late.

- _"I see… So you're all from Garden." _the President said_ "Should anything happen to me, the entire Galbadian military will undoubtedly crush Garden. You can let go of me now."_ he turned to Rinoa.

- _"Nice going you dumb chicken!" _Seifer hissed at Zell, who was now biting his lower lip _"You and your big mouth…"_

- _"What the…"_ Selphie spoke suddenly, staring at the wall behind Rinoa and the President.

            A purplish glow appeared behind them and the figure of a grown woman slowly began to appear. Shocked, Rinoa dropped her weapon. The President and the crew took the opportunity presented to them to escape, leaving the six young people alone inside the studio with that woman.

            All of them stared at the ethereal presence of the room in awe. The woman's face was covered with an exotic mask, but her body seemed to radiate such an intoxicating aura that couldn't let anyone doubt the beauty that would be hidden underneath it. Mostly mesmerized of all though, seemed to be Seifer. The tall blond gaped at the mysterious woman as if in a daze. He couldn't explain it, but something drew him to her like a magnet. And then suddenly, he heard a deep feminine voice, which unmistakably belonged to her, echo within his head.

                        _…Poor, poor boy…_

            Seifer's facial features frowned. Why was that woman approaching him? And why was she calling him a boy?

- _"Stay away from me!"_ Seifer snapped.

- _"Such a confused little boy… Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide…" _the woman now spoke audibly, still walking closer to him.

- _"Stay back!"_ Seifer repeated.

- _"The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off." _the woman went on, ignoring him _"You can't make up your mind. You don't know the right answer… You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament."_

- _"Shut up!" _Seifer insisted, the grip on his gunblade trembling.

- _"Don't be ashamed to ask for help. Besides, you're only a little boy…" _the woman spoke, provoking him.

- _"I'm not… Stop calling me a boy…" _Seifer's voice wavered.

- _"You don't want to be a boy anymore?"_

- _"I am not a BOY!" _Seifer yelled, his breath fast and heavy.

- _"Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood…"_

            Her words seemed to have an impact on him that Quistis noticed. She was drawing him to her more and more with her words. Seifer took a step forward. Inside his mind, the voice became more persistent.

                                                _Come to me and I'll make all your dreams come true…_

_                        My… My dreams?_

_                                                                                                I know of what you crave most, boy… And I can give it to you… Just follow me…_

            Seifer took another step forward.

                                                                        **_Yes_**_… Follow me…_

            Quistis looked frantically from Seifer to the woman and back. She was gaining on him, she was enslaving his mind. She couldn't let him give in, not now that… 

- _"Seifer stop! It's a trap!" _she yelled at him.

            Seifer momentarily turned around and looked at Quistis, but the voice drew his attention back.

                                                                                    _Don't listen to her… She can't give you what I can… Let her go. Let them **all** go. And join me…_

            The tall blond stepped towards the woman before him, dazed in a trance. All of them were now shouting at him, pleading him to stop, but only Quistis' voice stood out.

- _"Seifer NO! Don't listen to her!"_ she yelled and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

- _"Insolent, meddlesome fool!" _the woman's voice boomed _"I'll teach you a lesson to learn your place!" _

            It all happened in slow-motion before Seifer's eyes. The woman raised a clawed hand and immediately, a purplish-silver aura that was definitely a spell of some sort flew from her fingertips. Seifer's head jerked from the woman to Quistis on his right, where the spell hit her hard on the chest. The blonde Instructor let out a choked gasp and fell to the floor in a crumple. Seifer's eyes widened and turned to look at the woman with fear and hatred written all over them. He took a step back and swallowed with difficulty. 

            Behind him, Squall drew his gunblade and made a run for the woman, letting out a cry. The woman smirked and stood still as the SeeD approached her. Squall raised his gunblade into the air and brought it down to her forcefully. To his surprise, the serrated edge of his weapon cut through nothing but thin air, as the woman vanished in a matter of a second. The brown-haired SeeD was left looking dumbfound, running his fingers on the curtains before him, as if he hoped to find the woman behind there.

_                                    I will come for you again…_

            Seifer was still gaping at the place where the woman once stood, his green eyes staring blankly. How could she be speaking to him even after she'd disappeared? Could she have not gone? Could she be still lurking around in the shadows, waiting f- 

- _"Wake up, Almasy! She's gone!"_ Zell yelled at Seifer, shaking him back to consciousness from the shoulders, but he didn't even blink _"Snap out of it!"_ he added, snapping his fingers in front of him. Nothing _"Dammit, wake up!" _he said, and landed a hard punch across Seifer's jaw.

            The blond immediately grabbed his sore jaw and narrowed his eyes at Zell. He grabbed the shorter man's shirt and leered down at him.

- _"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Chicken-wuss?" _he growled. Zell was about to retort, when Selphie's voice put them both back in place.

- _"Stop it you two!" _she shrieked _"We have much more important things at hand here!"_

            Both blonds turned to look at her. She was standing by Quistis' side, holding her hand. Rinoa was on the other side, chanting some words under her breath, performing curative spells that might help. Squall had kneeled on Selphie's side, looking at Quistis intently.

- _"Work, you useless thing! Work!" _Rinoa hissed, as none of her spells and potions did anything. Quistis wouldn't flinch at all.

- _"Is she dead?!" _Seifer whispered in horror.

- _"No, she's got a pulse." _replied Selphie _"But it's weak."_

- _"I've never seen a spell like that before…" _Rinoa whispered in awe _"It knocked her right out…" _she added, rubbing Quistis' cold palm in her hands.

            Seifer strode over to the fallen form of Quistis and pushed a protesting Rinoa aside. He kneeled by her side and held the back on her head and hand gingerly, looking at her with concern.

- _"Hyne, why d'you go and do such a stupid thing, huh?" _he whispered, touching her cold forehead.

- _"It all happened to Instructor Trepe because of you, you moron!" _Zell yelled at him accursedly. 

            Seifer's eyes narrowed. The truth always stings.

- _"Shut up." _he hissed, not looking at him.

- _"No, I won't shut up!" _protested Zell _"You were stupid enough to listen to that woman and Instructor Trepe rushed in to protect you! It's **your** fault!"_

- _"I said SHUT THE HELL UP!" _yelled Seifer, his eyes sparkling with fury.

- _"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" _roared Squall, making everyone turn to look at him in awe _"Instructor Trepe is badly hurt and Galbadians will be on our trail any minute! I don't know if you noticed," _he said sarcastically _"But the President took off long ago. The last thing we need is your bickering."_

            Seifer and Zell both shut their mouths and Seifer didn't even bother to retort anything; Squall was right.

- _"First thing's first," _Squall continued _"We need to get out of here."_

- _"I know somewhere we can hide." _Rinoa piped in _"There's a woman here in Timber who knows me well and will surely let us stay there for a while."_ Squall nodded in consent.

- _"OK then, let's get the Instructor and-"_ began Zell.

- _"Don't you fucking dare."_ Seifer spat at him, pointing a threatening finger at him, then turning around to look at everyone ominously.

            He cradled Quistis in his arms gently and picked her up. He held her close to him protectively and turned to look at Rinoa.

- _"Lead the way, Princess." _he said sarcastically.

            Rinoa shot him a glare and moved towards the entrance, closely followed by the five SeeDs.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

****

****_Oh my gosh! What happened to me?_

_                                                                        Matron apparently hit you with a highly advanced spell. Well, you needn't worry for what happens to you_

_                                                                        though, you're alive and well watching this, aren't you? _

_                                    Yeah, but still…_

_                                                                        I'm surprised you didn't comment on how protective Seifer became all of a sudden…_

_                                                I would, but what really bugs me, is why react like that? She certainly didn't hit me that hard the 'other' time…_

_                                                                                    Who, Edea?_

_                                                                                                                        Yes. She only stunned me and when she disappeared, the spell faded off._

_                                                            Well, did you try to stop Seifer the other time as well?_

_                                                                                                            Yes. Only I didn't get there soon enough. I had to run after him. _

_            Well, I suppose it was the fact that you were already there and tried to hold him back. And apparently, your words had a different effect on _

_            him this time… _

****

****

****_But… why?___

_                                                                                                            Shouldn't you already know by now?_

****

****

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

****

Seifer was sitting down on the floor of the moving train carriage, with his back leaning against the wall. 

            When they had arrived at the place Rinoa was talking about, the woman living there had indeed provided them with shelter for a while. As it turned out, she was the leader of yet another Timber rebel group. That's how Rinoa obviously knew her. After staying there for a couple of hours, Squall had suggested they went to Galbadia Garden. Apparently, there was some section in the Garden manual –which Seifer clearly wasn't aware of- that stated that in a case of emergency, one should report to the nearest Garden, which at the moment was Galbadia Garden. So they grabbed the last train leaving from Timber, which would leave them off at the East Academy Station. From there, G-Garden was less than a fifteen-minute walk.

            The blond looked around the carriage. Everyone except for Selphie was silent. Squall was leaning against a wall, brooding as always, Rinoa was looking out of the window and Zell was sitting down silently, obviously feeling guilty for revealing that they were all from Balamb Garden. Selphie was merrily singing some annoying song about trains. Seifer looked down at Quistis, still held gingerly in his arms. He raked a hand through her hair. Why had she rushed over to help him? Why did she have to be so stupid? It wasn't his fault that this had happened to her, it was hers. He certainly hadn't **asked** her to help him, she did it herself. He sighed. Who was he trying to kid? It was no-one else's fault but his. Damn, why did she have to do it? Was it because of that kiss before? **_'Damn it Trepe, I only did that for cover… Don't tell me you took it seriously…' _**he thought looking at her, as if having a conversation with her. She knew that kiss –correction, kiss**es**- was only a means of protection, didn't she? She couldn't possibly think that… **_'*Sigh* It's not worth giving a second thought at it Trepe… _I'm _not worth giving a damned second thought at… I swear, for a supposed prodigy, you're the most naïve woman I've ever met in my life. Naïve and beautiful… Err… Naïve and stupid, I mean…'_**    

****

_                        Don't worry, master. I have a strong intuition that she'll come around._

_            **'An 'intuition', eh?'******_

****

****

_                        Yes. And I believe it's safe to say that my 'intuitions' usually prove to be accurate._

_            **'It's just that-'**_

****

****

_                        You're afraid you might never see her again?_

            Seifer cocked a sarcastic eyebrow **_'NO. I'm just-'_**

****

****

_                        Worried that she got herself injured to help you?_

Seifer gritted his teeth **_'NO. I only-'_**__

_                        Fear that it's your fault?_

_            '**Will you shut up and let me finish a sentence already?! I'm just bugged that everyone thinks it's my fault, which it's NOT, and that she did this because of-'**_

****

****

_                        The kiss?_

_            **'Are you spying on me all the time, or what?'**_

****

****

_                        It's not difficult to see through your memories, master, as I've told you before. Especially through the ones most engraved…_

_            **'Now WHY would I choose to 'engrave' that particular memory in my head?'**_

****

****

****_            Ahh, but I never said I was talking about that one, did I master? You just- _

_            **'It's only fucking logical, Ifrit. I-'**_

****

****

_                        You just **presumed** I did, because-_

_            **'END of discussion, Ifrit!' **_Seifer thought crankily, pursing his lips **_'Damn conceited GFs… Think you know everything…'_**

****

****

_                        I heard that, master._

_            **'I KNOW you did.'**  _

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The six teenagers made their way through the thick forest separating them from G-Garden. Squall was leading the way, followed by Rinoa, Seifer with Quistis in his arms, Selphie and then Zell. Selphie was almost level with Seifer, shooting glances to Quistis from time to time. At some point, Seifer caught her looking at them, grinning broadly.

- _"What?" _Seifer growled irritated.

- _"Oh, nothing…" _Selphie said smiling, letting out a giggle.

            Seifer shook his head in disbelief. After a couple of minutes, Rinoa asked Squall to take a small break to catch their breaths. All five of them except for Squall sat down on near-by rocks. Zell seemed to be fidgeting around nervously.

- _"Do you think the President will retaliate on Garden?" _he asked, getting up.

- _"Maybe…" _Squall replied, shrugging.

- _"Figures…" _mumbled Zell _"B-But…" _he said, moving close to Squall _"We have a whole bunch of SeeDs at __Balamb__Garden__! They wouldn't lose to the Galbadian army, would they?" _he asked frantically, falling down on his knees.

- _"Depends on how strong the army is…" _said Squall apathetically.

- _"You know, I can't believe you!" _snapped Rinoa indignantly. Everyone turned around to look at her _"You're just a great leader, aren't you?" _she spoke, addressing Squall who narrowed his eyes at her _"Do you actually have **fun** acting so callous towards your comrades?! Zell needs your support!" _Squall didn't speak__

- _"Sheesh Rinoa, quit your Hyne damned whining…" _Seifer piped in.

- _"What is **your** problem?" _the brunette snapped at him.

- _"You're irritating my ears, that's my problem!" _Seifer retorted.

- _"This is between me and Squall!" _hissed Rinoa _"It doesn't concern you!"_

- _"It sure as hell does! I can't stand hearing your whiny jabbering, so shut it!" _

- _"What's the matter Seifer? Annoyed that the world doesn't revolve around you for once?"_ Rinoa asked sarcastically, folding her arms in front of her chest.

- _"Fuck you…" _Seifer replied indifferently, not in the mood for a fight right now.

            Suddenly, Squall and Selphie began acting weird. Both of them were covering their ears and wincing, one by one falling onto the ground unconscious.

- _"I told you your whining was annoying…" _Seifer said mockingly.

- _"Shut up!" _snapped Rinoa _"Something happened to them!"_

- _"I think," _Zell mumbled _"I think they went to the 'Dream World' again…"_

- _"The what?" _Seifer asked incredulously.

                                                                                                                                                   *******

****

Squall slowly raised his head from the dirt in the ground and looked up before him. Next to him, Selphie was beginning to wake up as well.

- _"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty." _came Seifer's drawling voice.

            Squall glared at him. The last thing he needed right now was Seifer's idiotic comments. He slowly got up, dusting off his clothes clean. 

- _"Laguna and the others again?" _asked Zell. Squall nodded.

- _"Sir Laguna's in BIG TROUBLE! I hope he'll be OK…" _Selphie said.

- _"What's the deal with those dreams blondie told us about?"_ Seifer asked, earning a glare from Zell. 

- _"We don't know." _replied Selphie _"From time to time we just pass out and see parts of Sir Laguna's life."_

- _"But aren't there supposed to be three?" _Zell asked.

- _"Yeah, we were three this time as well." _replied Selphie _"Sir Laguna, Kiros and Ward."_

- _"The other must have been the Instructor then. None of us fell asleep." _Zell said.

- _"Anyway, we've stalled enough. We'll just be wasting our time trying to figure it out. How's Instructor Trepe?" _Squall asked Seifer.

- _"No change." _replied Seifer _"Her pulse is still very weak though, we better get movin'." _

            Squall nodded and led the way. Zell and Selphie moved forward, closely followed by Seifer. Rinoa caught up with Squall and stopped him.

- _"Umm…Squall…" _she said shyly _"About before… I think I may have said too much. I'm sorry." _she apologized.

            Squall shrugged, indicating it was OK. A few steps ahead of them, Seifer sighed in frustration and turned back at them.

- _"You," _he said to Squall _"Need to get laid and you," _he added, turning to Rinoa _"Want to marry him and have his babies. So do us all a favor and get a room or move the fuck on."_

            The tall blond turned his heel and resumed his way down the path, leaving a dumbfounded Squall and Rinoa behind.

****

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The enormous red building of Galbadia Garden stood out among the dry brownish landscape of Galbadia. It was a known fact that it was the greatest of the three Gardens and also the most strict one. Cheerful chattering, like the one usually heard within the corridors of B-Garden, was completely absent. In fact, the only sounds piercing the silence within the fields and hallways either came from an Instructor, giving orders to students, or from the flying apparatuses on which students rode, hovering on the sky. The five teenagers stared at the entrance for a fair two minutes before speaking.

- _"Wow… Completely different…" _said Selphie in awe.

- _"Sure is quiet." _Zell noticed.

- _"I like it." _Squall said, grinning the slightest bit, making Rinoa giggle.

- _"You would, wouldn't you?" _Seifer said sarcastically.

- _"So what are we gonna do?" _asked Selphie.

- _"**I'm** getting Trepe to the Infirmary." _ Seifer said _"From what I know, she used to attend this place for a little while, so there's a chance they'll know her."_

- _"How do you know she took classes here?" _asked Selphie, arching an eyebrow.

- _"It was common knowledge in Garden, Messenger-girl." _he retorted, narrowing his eyes at her.

- _"Yeah," _said Zell _"Among **Trepies**!" _he added.

            Zell and Selphie sniggered. Rinoa cracked a grin, although not knowing what 'Trepies' were and Squall rolled his eyes.

- _"Such a big mouth, for such a small person." _said Seifer _"Remind me **Zelly**, what was the last situation you're big-ass mouth got us into?" _he asked. Zell pursed his lips and lowered his head _"Thought so. Now **shut it**!"_

- _"Enough." _Squall interrupted, to stop the upcoming argument _"Seifer, take Instructor Trepe to the Infirmary and I'll go see the Headmaster. You wait here and I suppose they should call you in at some point."_

            The two men walked inside the military institution, heading for separate ways. After checking out the Directory, Seifer headed towards the Infirmary, while Squall walked up the stairs to the second floor, towards the Headmaster's office. He walked down the corridor, where a sentry stood outside a door.

- _"This is an off-limits area, young man." _the guard said.

- _"I'm here to see the Headmaster." _Squall replied.

- _"Is he expecting you?"_

- _"No, but this is a very urgent matter." _

- _"And what would this matter concern?" _asked the guard.

- _"I'd rather speak to the Headmaster directly. Tell him I come from __Balamb__Garden__, on the matter of the recent TV broadcast of Timber. He should understand…" _Squall replied.

- _"Wait here please." _said the sentry, knocking on the door and walking inside.

            After a couple of minutes' wait, he came back out.

- _"The Headmaster will see you now." _he said.

            Squall nodded at the man and stepped inside the office. As he expected, that certain room mirrored G-Garden's motto of simplicity and strictness as well; it was filled with nothing more than a desk, a couple of armchairs, a big bookcase, only one plant and one modest painting. Behind the desk, sat Martine, Headmaster of Galbadia Garden. Upon entering, Squall saluted him, giving him the trademark SeeD military salute. 

- _"Squall Leonhart, __Balamb__Garden__ SeeD, Rank Eight." _Squall spoke.

            Martine reciprocated by a mere nod, motioning to Squall to sit down on one of the armchairs. 

- _"So… Mr. Leonhart. What matter do you wish to speak to me for?" _Martine asked.

- _"I'm assuming that you are aware of the recent event that took place in the Timber TV Station, am I right, sir?" _Squall asked.

- _"Affirmative. You're talking of course about the attack against President Deling by Rinoa Caraway." _spoke Marine.

- _"Rinoa… Caraway?" _said Squall puzzled _"Don't you mean Rinoa Heartilly?" _he asked.

- _"No Mr. Leonhart. Rinoa **Caraway**." _repeated Martine.

- _"As in… **General** Caraway?" _he asked.

- _"Exactly. I suppose she failed to mention the fact that she is General Caraway's daughter?"_ Martine asked. Squall nodded _"I see… We'll discuss that later. What I want to hear now, is how you fit into this story."_

- _"I'm leading a small group of SeeDs hired by Miss Heart- Miss Caraway. Apparently, her incentive was to gain Timber's liberation, but I'm afraid it wasn't supposed to end this way." _spoke Squall _"Later on, we were joined by two more SeeD members, one of them an Instructor actually-"_

- _"Instructor Quistis Trepe?" _asked Martine.

- _"Yes. How do you-?"_

- _"I was contacted by the Infirmary. Don't worry; we'll take good care of her until the aircraft to transfer her back to your Garden arrives." _

- _"Thank you, sir." _said Squall _"As I was saying, after we were joined by two more members, said incident occurred and we got caught in the middle of it because of our contract with Miss Caraway. The President spoke of retaliation on __Balamb__Garden__, but I'm here to press on the fact that we were only following orders from a client."_

- _"I understand your situation." _said Martine nodding _"Your Garden had nothing to do with it. I've already contacted certain authorities after the incident occurred and you should rest assured that it will be classified as an independent action on Miss Caraway's behalf."_

- _"I see…" _said Squall nodding **_'But what will become of Rinoa?' _**he thought _"I feel compelled to ask though, sir. What will happen of Miss Caraway?"_

- _"She need not worry." _replied Martine _"Her father pulled some… 'strings' with the military and she will face no consequences."_

- _"Thank you, sir." _said Squall.

- _"I've given out an order for your group to gather in the Reception room. Go meet them and assemble at the Front Gate. I need to speak to you all about a certain matter." _said Martine.

- _"May I ask what that concerns?" _asked Squall.

- _"You will be notified at the designated area. I'll see you again soon Mr. Leonhart." _

- _"Alright," _said Squall getting up _"Thank you for your time, sir."_

- _"You're welcome, soldier."_

            Squall saluted the Headmaster once more and exited the room. He gave the guard a nod and walked down the hallway and the stairs, to the second floor. Approaching the door, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

- _"Hey, Leonhart!" _Seifer called, running up the stairs _"Wait up…"_

- _"How's Instructor Trepe?" _Squall asked, once Seifer caught up with him.__

- _"Dunno… They said she's stable for now, but they're transferring her-"_

- _"Back to Balamb, I know." _said Squall _"The Headmaster told me."_

- _"So d'you talk to him?" _asked the blond.__

- _"Yeah, the Garden'll be fine." _replied Squall.__

- _"Good. Just do me a favor!" _Seifer said, grinning.__

- _"What?"_

- _"Lemme tell Chicken-Wuss that it's being attacked just to mess with him!" _Seifer replied, earning a glare from Squall _"You're no fun 'Pubes'…"_

- _"Whatever… Come on, I have to talk to the others about something…" _he said, frowning, walking down the corridor.__

- _"Whatsamatter?" _asked Seifer.__

- _"You'll see… All I can say is that Miss **Caraway** owes us some explanations…" _said Squall indignantly.__

- _"Whoa, whoa…" _said Seifer, grabbing Squall's arm _"Who told you about that?" _Seifer asked.__

- _"You **knew **about this?" _Squall asked, narrowing his eyes at the older man.__

- _"Of course I did. Me and Rinoa go quite some time back…" _Seifer replied.__

- _"Oh… right…" _Squall said, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"Listen, don't say anything in front of the others. At least not yet." _Seifer said _"Rinoa doesn't want people to know. She wanted to make it on her own and not because of her father's name. 'Sides, they're not on speaking terms." _Squall just stared at him _"Just talk to her in private before and then if you still wanna do it, do it."_

- _"And why do you care?" _Squall asked.__

- _"I may not be with her anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't give a damn, Leonhart." _Seifer retorted _"It's bad enough that we…" _he trailed off_ "Come one let's go."_

            Squall nodded and walked towards the door, closely followed by Seifer. They found everyone gathered inside, eagerly waiting for some good news, or any news at the very least.

- _"So? What happened?" _asked Selphie, once the pair entered the room.

- _"They understand our situation." _Squall said.

- _"And Garden?!" _Zell asked anxiously.

- _"Bombed. Destroyed… Dead corpses everywhere…" _replied Seifer, shaking his head. Zell's eyes widened.

- _"He's messing with you, Zell." _Squall said, glaring at Seifer _"Garden's perfectly safe. There won't be any retaliation from Galbadia's part."_

            Zell sighed in relief and fell back on the couch behind him heavily.

- _"So I suppose the blame's all on me, right?" _Rinoa spoke silently, in a glum tone.

- _"No. All charges were dropped." _Squall replied.

- _"What? How come?" _asked Selphie. Rinoa looked at her _"I'm not disappointed!" _she exclaimed _"Just curious! Honest!"_

- _"I believe you, Selphie." _Rinoa said smiling _"Well? How come?" _she asked as well. 

            Seifer looked at Squall intently. Squall returned the gaze and saw in his rival's eyes a look he'd never seen before. Seifer was visibly pleading him not to speak. Squall looked away.

- _"Dunno… Probably because you never actually attacked him and let him go in the long run." _he replied, shrugging.

- _"Oh. I… see…" _said Rinoa, caught off guard _"I suppose I should be happy then!" _she added, grinning.

- _"What about Instructor Trepe?" _asked Selphie. 

- _"She's stable." _replied Seifer _"She'll be transferred to Balamb soon enough. They say she's going to recuperate in due time. Still unconscious though." _

- _"So all's well? Can we go back home now?" _asked Zell eagerly. 

- _"Not yet. Martine said he had something to talk to all of us about. We are to assemble down at the Gates." _replied Squall.

- _"Any idea what it is about?"_ asked Rinoa.

- _"None." _replied Squall, shaking his head _"But we're about to find out, so let's get going." _   

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Headmaster Martine was standing in front of Squall, having just handed him a manila envelope with orders for their next mission. Apparently, this was supposed to be a direct order from both Gardens. Squall opened the envelope and read the document inside. His steel blue eyes widened the slightest bit, but he quickly masked it by blinking. The mission form was ordering them more or less to assassinate the Sorceress. First, they had to accompany Rinoa back to her residence, where they would meet General Caraway and get briefed on the details of the mission. Squall couldn't believe his eyes. It was only a day that he'd been an active SeeD and he was already hired to lead a mission that other –and consequently more experienced- SeeDs wouldn't even **dream** of being assigned in. Something in the form though, caught his eye. The assassination was supposed to be performed 'by means of a sniper'.

- _"The orders say by means of a 'sniper'."_ he spoke _"We have no one with that skill."_

- _"Don't worry about it."_ said Martine _"Let me introduce an elite sharpshooter from __Galbadia__Garden__. Kinneas! __Irvine__ Kinneas!"_ he called.__

            Over by the field next to them, a butterfly fluttered through the air. It landed on the outstretched finger of a boy wearing a long, brown coat and trousers, lying onto the grass. He moved his hand quickly as if he were firing a pistol and stood up, adjusting his cowboy hat, which covered his long brown, pony tailed hair. He turned around, resting his rifle onto his shoulder and a sly smile appeared on his face, lightening up his clear blue eyes. He slowly strode over to them.

- _"This is __Irvine__ Kinneas. He will be your sharpshooter."_ Martine said sharply _"Leave whenever you're ready. Failure is not an option."_

            And with those words, he turned his heel and stepped back inside the car that had brought him there. As soon as he did, that Irvine guy shaped his hand into a pistol and pretended to fire at the Headmaster.

- _"BANG!" _he said mockingly, then turned over to look at the others _"Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb. Greetings." _he said, tilting his hat at them. Zell clenched his fists _"You cool with me helping you?"_

- _"That dep-" _began Squall, but was cut off.__

- _"You be cool to us and we'll be cool to you. Comprende?" _Seifer butted in.__

- _"Fair enough." _agreed Irvine.__

- _"So, what's our mission?"_ asked Selphie.__

- _"Our next mission…"_ Squall said, sighing _"This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and __Galbadia__Garden__. We're to…_ _assassinate the sorceress."_ Zell, Selphie and Rinoa gasped _"We're to shoot her from afar. Kinneas will be our sharpshooter. We're to support Kinneas to our fullest. Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head on."_ Squall finished.__

- _"Thanks for the support, but I **never** miss my target…" _Irvine said smugly.__

- _"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" _Seifer retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.__

- _"ANYWAY," _Squall cut in, before Irvine had time to answer _"We're going to head to the capital of Galbadia, __Deling__City__. There, we'll meet up with General Caraway to go over the details for the plan. Let's get going."_

- _"Well then…"_ began Irvine _"We'll need to choose a party for the trip to __Deling__City__."_

            He walked over to Rinoa and Selphie leaving Seifer, Squall and Zell all in one group. All three guys shot each other sideways glances.

- _"How's this?"_ asked Irvine.

- _"*Scoff* Have a good time…"_ said Squall sarcastically, making Seifer and Zell snigger.

- _"Are you being sarcastic?!" _snapped Selphie _"You are, aren't you? Well **fine** then! We **will **have a good time!"  _

- _"We understand very well!" _agreed Rinoa, grabbing one of Irvine's arms _"Come on Mr. Kinneas, let's go!"_

- _"Call me Irvine."_ said the cowboy, grinning from ear to ear _"I'm a pretty lucky guy. Hand in hand with two beautiful girls!"_

- _"Irvy Kinne-poo!"_ said Selphie, grabbing Irvine's other arm _"I'll make you **very** happy!"_

            The trio made their way towards the train Station, leaving Seifer, Zell and Squall dumbfounded.

- _"Ten Gil he gets beaten up in a matter of ten minutes." _Seifer said, pulling a ten Gil bill out of his back pocket.

- _"Ten more that he'll get in nine."_ said Zell, taking out another bill.

- _"Seven."_ said Squall, taking out his own bill.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            After less than a couple of hours, the six mercenaries finally arrived outside a luxurious mansion in the far East side of Deling City. Everyone seemed pretty eager about their first **real** mission, although somewhat nervous. Squall was leading the small group, closely followed by Seifer. Upon reaching the Gate, Squall noticed Seifer's really weird attitude; for some reason, the blond SeeD seemed to feel incredibly awkward and kept pulling the neckline of his vest with his finger.

- _"Relax… He's not going to take out his shotgun… again…" _Rinoa mumbled at Seifer, walking past him and Squall, to get in front. Squall raised an eyebrow at her comment.

- _"Easy for you to say…" _replied Seifer through gritted teeth.

- _"Am I… missing something here?" _asked Squall.

            None of the two answered and Rinoa just kept walking ahead. Squall turned around to see the others' reactions, finding Irvine whispering something on Selphie's ear, making her all giggly and Zell looking around, oblivious to the little scene between Seifer and Rinoa. Squall shook his head in disbelief and turned his glance back forward, where he saw Rinoa approaching the guard in front.

- _"Hey… What do you-?" _began Squall, but Rinoa raised her palm, motioning him to be quiet.

- _"I'll handle this." _she said coolly, then turned to look at the guard.

- _"Is the General… expecting you?" _asked the guard, raising an eyebrow.

- _"He's expecting the SeeDs, yes." _replied Rinoa, crossing her arms.

- _"What about you?" _asked the soldier.

- _"I'm with them." _said Rinoa.

- _"Miss, I don't know if I can…" _began the soldier.

- _"Oh, step aside already!" _said Rinoa exasperated and pushed the guard aside.

            Everyone but Seifer and Squall looked at the sight stunned and they were even **more** surprised to see that the soldier didn't react. All of them followed Rinoa, Squall walking a bit faster, to catch up with her.

- _"What was **that**?" _he asked, his voice betraying hints of anger **_'Even if she IS the General's daughter, _I** **_should be the one handling this…'_**

- _"Don't worry Squall… I **know** what I'm doing…"_ replied Rinoa, still walking towards the entrance of the mansion.

- _"You're supposed to be our **client**, you can't meddle-" _Squall began.

- _"Just… be patient and you'll see…" _said Rinoa firmly, reaching the double doors of the entrance.

            The two soldiers guarding the doors opened them and let everyone inside. Another soldier showed them upstairs to the study and asked them to wait there for the General. Irvine made his way to the General's desk and promptly slouched himself onto the chair, crossing his legs onto the desk. Zell sat on the couch, getting up from time to time to swat his fists in the air. Selphie looked outside the window to the decorations of the city for the grand carnival in honor of the Sorceress. Squall stood against a wall, staring blankly, while Rinoa sat quietly onto an armchair, crossing her legs. Everyone seemed pretty calm, except for Seifer, who kept pacing back and forth the room nervously. At some point, Rinoa groaned.

- _"Will you stop it already?!" _she said to Seifer, irritated.

- _"I'd like to see **you** calm in my shoes!" _Seifer snapped back at her.

- _"Well, he **has** kept us waiting for long…" _said Zell, obviously missing the point entirely in the ex-couple's conversation.

            Rinoa and Seifer turned to look at him. Seifer slapped his palm on his forehead and shook his head in disbelief.

- _"Chicken-wuss… Just… shut up…" _said Seifer, exasperated.

- _"What was that?!" _said Zell angrily, getting up from the couch.

- _"Quit it." _Squall said calmly, glaring at the both of them _"I don't think anyone's eager to hear your childish quarrels o0ne more time…"_

            Zell frowned and sat back down, while Seifer gave Squall the finger. Squall glared at him, his eyes dripping poison. The tension was getting thicker with each passing second inside the room. Suddenly, Selphie, who had been watching the exchange with anxiety, spoke.

- _"What's that General been doing so long?!" _she said, trying to change the subject.

- _"Yeah, where the hell is he?" _asked Irvine, getting Selphie's train of thought.

- _"Hmph!" _groaned Rinoa _"He **always** does this! So discourteous… Making people wait…" _she said getting up _"I'm gonna go complain. Everyone just wait here." _she stated, walking towards the door.

            While everyone wondered at her nerve, Rinoa turned around just before leaving and spoke again.

- _"Oh, by the way… This is my house, so don't worry…" _she said coolly and walked out.

            Everyone but Seifer and Squall gasped. 

- _"What the…?" _began Irvine.

- _"The father's a top military official and the daughter's a rebel?!" _asked Zell confused.

- _"But… how?" _asked Selphie puzzled.

- _"Rinoa and her father never got along…" _said Seifer, crossing his arms _"So she left her home and joined the '__Forest__ Owls'."_

- _"Man, that's fucked up…" _mumbled Irvine.

- _"Seriously…" _agreed Zell nodding.

            Right then, the door opened and General Caraway appeared, a strict expression on his face.

- _"Where's Rinoa?" _asked Selphie immediately.

- _"Rinoa is-" _began the General, but stopped in mid sentence, upon looking at all his visitors.

            His eyes rested on Seifer, who looked somewhat terrified and had been holding his breath ever since the General had entered the room. Caraway's black eyes locked with Seifer's jade ones, looking at him with an enraged expression. Everyone stopped and looked at the two; they'd obviously met before. But why was Caraway looking at Seifer in such a manner? It could almost be interpreted as… unadulterated hatred.

- _"You…" _said the General hoarsely, his fists clenching.

- _"Sir, before you lose your temper, I-" _began Seifer, looking as if on the verge of fainting.

- _"YOU'VE GOT **SOME **NERVE COMING BACK HERE, ALMASY!!!"_

* * *

**A/N:** Oh yes… Caraway's back and more pissed than ever… ^_^ Also, from this chapter, we say goodbye to our beloved Quisty for another two chapters. Don't worry though, I have something **very** special planned for her re-appearance ^_~

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The group of SeeDs divides into two teams to carry out the assassination plan._

_What will happen between Seifer and Edea during their second encounter?_


	15. Chapter 14: The assasination plan

**A/N:** Happy Easter everyone! Having a good rest so far? I sure am…

It's time for another update to this story… Kinda left you hangin' with Seifer and Caraway the last time, huh? ^_^

Oh, btw, I decided to change the dialogue format, as a test, to see if it appears better on the site, thus helping you read it more easily… Let me know if it works out better…

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and Quistis make it down to Timber and join the others. During their attempt to stop the TV broadcast, Sorceress Edea appears and knocks Quistis out cold. They all escape Timber and make it to G-Garden, where they're given instructions on a new mission; assassinate the Sorceress… _

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 14: The assassination plan**

* * *

* * *

_"YOU'VE GOT **SOME **NERVE COMING BACK HERE, ALMASY!!!"_ yelled the General, losing his composure, while reaching over to his sword, suspending from his belt.

            Seifer's eyes widened and the tall blond broke into a run around the room, as the General waved his sword threateningly in the air. Seifer rushed to Irvine over at the desk, hiding behind him. The General ran over to him, engaging into a chase around the desk. 

_"I'm going to kill you **this** time!" _said the General, his eyes glistening dangerously.

_"Now, now sir… I'm only here to…"_ said Seifer frantically, trying to explain himself, but the General leaped onto the desk.

            Seifer let out a yelp and got out of the sword's way, as it came rushing down to him. The General ended up leaving a deep cut onto the desk and swiftly turned his head around to the other side of the room, where Seifer had just run to. Caraway unstuck his sword from the desk and hopped back down to the floor, advancing on Seifer with a murderous expression on his face. The two went on with their wild chase around the room, as the other's watched the exchange wide-eyed. Zell seemed to be the only one enjoying the sight, as a wide grin had spread across his face. After what seemed like an eternity Squall finally decided to intervene.

_"General, please calm down and explain-" _Squall began.

_"This does not concern you, boy!" _yelled Caraway, aiming to slash Seifer's throat who ducked just in time _"Me and Almasy go **way** back!"_  

_"I didn't mean to!" _said Seifer almost pleadingly, dodging another slash of the sword.

_"Oh yes… I'm sure you didn't mean to **DEFILE** MY DAUGHTER!" _roared Caraway.

            Everyone gasped as they finally got a hint of what exactly had happened between Seifer and the General… Caraway once again tried to behead Seifer, who got his Hyperion out just in time. The two swords collided, but Caraway, with a tactful move, got rid of Seifer's gunblade, which found its way on the floor. Seifer was now cornered and the General was pointing the tip of his sword right on Seifer's throat. Seifer was breathing heavily, looking at the sword with a terrified expression on his face, while a trickle of sweat ran down his forehead. By now, everyone, even Zell, was worried that the General was **really** going to kill Seifer. They couldn't say they even **remotely** liked the blond, but didn't want to see him get brutally murdered either… Caraway was breathing heavily as well, his arm not even twitching as he still held his sword on Seifer's throat.

_"Sir, I believe that's enough." _interrupted Squall _"Whatever it is that's between you and Seifer, surely isn't worth **killing** him…" _

            Silence overtook the room, as everyone held their breaths. The only sound breaking the muteness of the study, were Seifer and Caraway's panting breaths. After a few more moments of silence, the General spoke.

_"You're right." _he said, his eyes always fixed onto Seifer's _"**However**," _he added _"If I ever… **ever**, catch you anywhere within the vicinity of a **mile** around my daughter again," _he said, trailing the tip of his sword down Seifer's chest and onto his crotch _"I'll have your head. **Both** of them…" _said the General, smirking. Seifer's eyes widened and he swallowed hard _"Understood?" _

_"Y-y-yes sir…" _stuttered Seifer, in a voice barely audible.

_"Good." _said Caraway, drawing away his sword and suspending it back on the side of his belt.__

            Seifer let out the breath he'd been holding for Hyne knew how long. He sighed in relief and ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. Everyone else was relieved the incident was over as well, although Zell was trying hard not to burst out laughing… Seifer sank down in a chair but a mere glare from the General made him jump back up.

_"So… where's Rinoa?" _asked Selphie again, trying to break the tension.

_"Rinoa has not received the type of training you all have, and may become a burden. Besides, she will probably end up getting into more trouble like she did in Timber…"_ Caraway replied _"It's for the best that she stays out of this operation."_

_"Once our mission is accomplished here, we're working for Rinoa, as per our contract."_ Squall spoke _"I don't know what your situation is, but please don't interfere when the time comes."_

_"And if I do?"_ the General asked in a daring manner.

_"Well, we-" _Seifer began, but as soon as he met Caraway's cold gaze, shut his mouth.

_"We're all SeeDs here. We'll act accordingly."_ Squall replied firmly.

_"Hey, hey, fellas…" _ Irvine butted in _"We're here to knock off the Sorceress, right? So let's get down to business."_

_"OK…" _Caraway nodded, although somewhat frowning _"Let me explain the plan…"_ he added, walking outside.__

            The six young soldiers followed him out of the room and down into the streets, so that he'd be able to explain the operation more effectively.

                                                                                                                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_                                                                        Ha, ha, ha! I wondered if I'd ever see a scene between Seifer and Caraway again!_

_                                    Quisty, you're much meaner than I thought!_

_                                                                                                            Oh, I'm **so** gonna tease him for this once we're through…_

_                                                Will continuing with the story make you be quiet?_

_                                                                                                                        Sure, *chuckle* go on…_

                                                                                                                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_"…So." _Caraway spoke, once they were back in the mansion _"Who's going to lead the operation?"_

_"I will."_ Seifer and Squall both replied in unison. Squall glared at Seifer.

_"I outrank you. And I'm a SeeD for a whole six months longer."_ Seifer retorted _"Do the math, Leonhart…"_

_"Nice try, but 'Leonhart', as you called him, will lead the operation."_ the General said, indicating that the conversation on that subject was over.

_"Fine."_ Seifer growled, sulking. Squall grinned the slightest bit.

_"So all the rest is up to you."_ Caraway said, addressing Squall. Squall nodded.

_"Irvine and I will make up the sniper team, then."_ Squall said _"So that leaves the rest for the Gateway team."_

_"Whoo-hoo!"_ Selphie cheered.

_"Let's DO it!" _Zell shouted excitedly. Seifer merely rolled his eyes.

_"So who's gonna be the leader of the gateway team?"_ asked Selphie.__

            Zell began throwing punches in the air, pretending to be casual. Squall looked over at him and sighed **_'Sorry, Zell…'_**he thought. He wasn't all that fond of Seifer, but he had to admit that he **was** a good mercenary and he was the only logical choice for the leader for that team. Besides, he had a feeling that if Seifer had to endure more rejection from Caraway or anyone else, he'd go ballistic…

_"Seifer, you're in charge."_ Squall said.

            Across him, Zell was obviously disappointed. Both for not having been chosen, but also because he'd have to be under Seifer's lead… Seifer cocked an eyebrow.

_"Oh, yippee…"_ he said sarcastically.

            **_'Ungrateful bastard…'_** Squall thought. The General gave the 'OK' to get started with the operation, so Squall and Irvine left the room, heading for their position in front of the Gates of the Presidential Palace. Seifer motioned his team to follow him with a nod, looking bored out of his mind. The three made their way out of Caraway's mansion walking out to the streets, where crowds had already began to assemble, heading for the main Boulevard for the parade. 

_"So Seifer… What's the deal with you and Rinoa's dad?"_ asked Selphie, grinning.

            Seifer stopped on his tracks and turned around to face her, giving her the most venom-dripping expression she'd ever seen in her life.

_"Sorry, sorry! Just askin'! No need to take my head off!" _she protested, walking next to a chuckling Zell.

_"Just shut up… BOTH of you and follow me. Don't open you fuckin' peephole for the rest of the mission and we'll be OK, savvy?"_ he growled at the two.

            Selphie and Zell shook their heads in disbelief and followed Seifer. They were now making their way through the colorful streets of Deling, all decorated for the illustrious parade. People were cheering, holding banners or throwing confetti, while children chased around huge fluorescent balloons in all kinds of shapes. Within a few minutes, the trio was already at the bottom of the gateway tower and was ascending up the stairs to their designated spot. Zell sat down on the floor, resting his back against the wall behind him. Selphie was examining the weird contraption connected to the lever they were later on supposed to pull down. Seifer was leaning against the wall next to the window, looking outside in boredom. He yawned and stared at his watch. Twenty minutes to eight. Great… He was supposed to stay inside this fucking hole, for twenty minutes, waiting to do what? Pull down a Hyne damned lever. He couldn't understand why there had to be three of them in that stupidly easy mission. They could just as well have sent the Chicken-Wuss and the Messenger girl to get the job cone and he could be with the sniper team, doing some **real** work, in case that idiotic cowboy missed. But he had a pretty darn good idea why all this was happening. Caraway hated his guts for that incident back in the summer when he'd caught him and Rinoa during an… uncomfortable moment. And now was his perfect revenge… That bastard…

              Seifer sighed and looked outside the window. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A blur of blue went passing by through the crowds. An all **too** familiar blur of blue…

_"RINOA?!"_ Seifer yelled, jumping up startled.

_"What, where?!"_ said Zell.

_"I just saw Rinoa running through the crowds, heading for… aw SHIT!"_ Seifer cursed.

_"Wasn't she supposed to stay inside for the mission?"_ Selphie asked.

_"Damn her stubbornness!"_ Seifer growled, heading for the staircase next to them.

_"Where are you going?!"_ asked Zell.

_"I'm gonna go stop her before she does anything stupid. You two stay here and follow the orders if I don't get back in time."_ Seifer said firmly, now descending the rusty stairway.

_"B-b-but-"_ stuttered Selphie.

_"No 'buts'! If I don't go, she's gonna try and take on the sorceress by herself!"_ Seifer insisted.

_"But the General said-"_ Zell began.

_"The General will **thank** me when his daughter doesn't end up a fucking mangled corpse!"_ Seifer hissed and disappeared from sight to the room downstairs.

            He skipped the last few stairs by jumping down and rushed outside. He ran down the streets, pushing anyone who came before his way aside. He stopped at the main Boulevard, looking around for any hint of Rinoa. His eyes caught a tip of her baby blue duster just before she turned around a corner. He broke into a run once again, struggling to catch up with her. Once he took the turn Rinoa had just a moment ago, he stopped on his tracks. Suddenly, the crowd erupted into cheers and he gates of the Presidential Palace, which he had now reached, flung open. The parade had begun. 

            Seifer got pushed back from the people around him, as a large group of dancers, dressed in exotic attire rushed out, bursting into a dance in a frenzy of colors and motion. The Sorceress' vehicle followed right after them. Seifer's gaze fell mechanically upon the woman riding that cart. It was her. The woman they'd all seen back at the TV station in Timber. 

            As if possessing a sixth sense, she felt the blond's eyes piercing her and turned around, facing him. Seifer's eyes widened as a feral grin appeared on the woman's face.

                        _So… we meet again boy…_

            Seifer gasped; she was speaking to him again.

                                                _Just take a look around you… Look at all this glory… It can all be yours, too… If you join me… The crowds will _

_                                                worship not only the Sorceress, but the Sorceress' Knight as well…_

Seifer swallowed with difficulty, how did she know about his dream? How could she? He'd almost never shared it with **anyone**… But either way, her offer was too tempting for him to decline… The vehicle was almost out of sight now. If he wanted to seize that chance he'd have to run after her… Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward, ready to break into a run after the parade vehicle. As soon as he took the first step ahead though, he felt a pair of hands pulling him aside from the waist. His mind snapped out of the 'trance' and he was brought face to face with a frowned Squall and a bewildered Irvine, who had both pulled him aside from the street.

_"What the hell are you doing here, Almasy?!"_ Squall hissed at him _"Why aren't you at the gateway?!"_

_"I… I was…"_ he replied, rubbing his forehead, still somewhat dizzy _"B-b-but I saw Rinoa… She escaped from the house. I had a feeling she'd try to take on the Sorceress by herself…"_

_"Yeah, we know, we saw her."_ said Irvine _"She already got there and she's in some** big** trouble…We're going over to help her."_

_"Well come on! Let's go!"_ Seifer urged them.

_"Wait, what about the gateway team?"_ asked Squall.

_"I've left the Chicken-Wuss and that Messenger girl there; they'll do just fine. Even Dincht ain't that stupid to mess it up…"_ Seifer replied.

_"Fine.__ Come on."_ Squall grumbled, resuming his way.   

                                                                                                                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*                                                                                                                    

            The three men made their way through the rooftops of the Presidential Palace, moving as fast as they could, trying to get to Rinoa before it was too late… They finally reached the foyer leading to Sorceress Edea's chamber. They found Rinoa inside, cowering into a corner. Two humongous beasts stood before her. Seifer recognized them as Iguions, creatures that were half lions from the waist down and half iguanas from the waist up. One of them stood on its hind legs, preparing to attack he young girl, while the other stood ominously behind them, ready to lunge forward next. 

            Without losing a single second, Irvine pointed his shotgun towards the monster in front of Rinoa, pulling the trigger. A pair of bullets shot right upon the monsters head, piercing right through flesh and skull. A surge of green blood splashed all over the wall behind Rinoa and on her as well, soaking her clothes and staining her face. The girl screamed in terror as the beast fell on its side in front of her and looked at her out of the corner of one eye, before the iris rolled back into the socket. Squall rushed over to Rinoa and jumped down upon her, grabbing her waist and rolling into the floor, away from danger. The other Iguion growled and turned over to face Seifer and Irvine. Rinoa squirmed beneath Squall on the ground. She winced and opened her eyes, facing him.

_"Squall!"_ she gasped _"How did you-"_

_"Stay here."_ Squall interrupted her and got back up on his feet, running over to the other two men.

            The last remaining Iguion lowered its torso down and, springing forward from its back legs, jumped up to Seifer cat-like. The blond lost no time and slashed the monster's open mouth with his Hyperion, sending it a few steps back, hissing. Retaliating, the beast stood up on its hind legs and emitted a surge of what was unmistakably magma, heading right on to Seifer. Within the blink of an eye, it turned its attention over to Irvine and did the same. The first trail of lava slithered serpent-like over to Seifer, who jumped to the side, rolled on the ground and got back up on his feet, a spell apparent, dancing between his fingers. He extended his arm towards the Iguion and released a Blizzara. A tall iceberg began to create from the beast's legs, building up around the Iguion's body. Meanwhile, Irvine had dodged the magma heading towards him and quickly raised his shotgun up, shooting the head of the –now- iced creature. The bullet cracked the ice 'helmet', sending chips of ice shooting across the room. Right on cue, Squall had reached the battle and was ready to attack the monster.

_"Get it, now!" _yelled Seifer at Squall.

            Squall jumped up on the Iguion's back and plunged his gunblade down at the top of its spine, at the point where it connected with the base of the skull. The sharp tip of the weapon penetrated the beast's hard, dragon-like skin. The Iguion emitted a high-pitched screech, making all of them cover their ears. Seifer rushed over to Squall's aid, helping him crack away the ice covering the creature's body with slashes of their gunblades. When no more ice was lingering onto the monster's skin, it fell with a thud to the ground, desperately holding on to dear life by a thin thread. Seifer gave the last blow, bringing his Hyperion down, chopping the beast's head with one strike. Green blood raced out and stained Seifer's face. The fatal wound left on the Iguion's body was still gushing out green blood, as it twitched a few last times, then lay down lifeless.

            Seifer let out a sigh of relief and ran his hand through his fair hair, grimacing in disgust as he noticed a stain of thick blood mixing with his short locks. Irvine got back up on his feet, twirling his shotgun on one hand before resting it upon his shoulder. Rinoa had also gotten up and was now staggering her way over to the three guys. She fell back down on her knees next to Squall, grabbing his arm.

_"I was scared…" _she whispered faintly _"Really scared…"_

_"It's over now."_ Squall said, looking down at her.

_"I was scared…"_ Rinoa repeated, pulling herself back up from Squall's arm _"I was really, really scared…"_

_"You're used to battles, aren't you?"_ Squall asked, frowning.

_"I couldn't… I just couldn't… I couldn't fight alone…"_ she whispered faintly **_'You're not ready for all this…'_** Squall thought.

_"Come on, we have to go. We have less than ten minutes to eight."_ said Seifer, walking over to Rinoa's side.

_"Let go…"_ Rinoa whined, as Seifer put his hand on her shoulder.

            She walked over to Squall's side.

_"I haven't forgotten your order. Just… stay close to me."_ Squall said without looking at her, walking towards the exit.

            The quartet walked out of the foyer and found the small hatch the General had talked to them about. Irvine pried it open and walked down to the carousel cart first, slowly followed by the others.

                                                                                                                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*                                                                                                                    

   

            Inside the carousel, Squall and Irvine walked over to the designated area, from which Irvine was supposed to shoot the Sorceress. Rinoa sat down on a stool, remaining silent. Seifer noticed that she looked quite pale and walked over to her.

_"You OK?"_ he asked, bending down to look at her.

_"Leave me alone…"_ Rinoa mumbled, looking away from his face.

_"Why are you being so Hyne damn hostile with me? What the fuck did I ever do?!"_ Seifer asked exasperated.

_"What do you want, Seifer? **Really**?"_ Rinoa asked sarcastically _"You blow me off at the Ball and now all of a sudden you act all 'concerned' about me? What's your game?"_

_"*Scoff* You can really be a child sometimes, Rinoa…"_ Seifer said, shaking his head in disbelief _"Just because we broke up doesn't mean I don't care about you. I don't know if I was only a 'boyfriend' to you, but to me you were also a friend. A **good** one."_ he went on, frowning. Rinoa bowed down her head _"And I may not fuckin' show it, but I care about friends. Because I value them. And if that's too much for you to handle, then fine by me."_

            Seifer turned around and saw Irvine and Squall looking at them.

_"And what the fuck are **you** looking at?"_ he asked indignantly.

_"I wanted to see if you two are quite over with your issues, because we have a damn serious mission ahead of us."_ Squall replied, crossing his arms.

_"**You** have a serious mission ahead of you."_ retorted Seifer_ "In case you have forgotten, you are the leader of this frickin' circus and **I** was assigned to pull a lever."_

_"Then you shouldn't have left your post to play hero, Seifer. 'Cause now that you're on **my** team, you'll play with **my** rules."_ Squall spat back.

_"Why did you leave your post?"_ Rinoa piped in.

_"Forget about it…"_ Seifer growled and sat down on a corner, sulking.

            Rinoa approached Seifer and sat down next to him.

_"Why did you abandon your post Seifer?"_ she asked again.

_"I said: Forget about it."_ Seifer repeated firmly.

_"Did you try to come find me?"_ she asked. Seifer didn't reply _"Why?"_

_"I saw you from the window, running away from the mansion and I figured you'd try to take on the Sorceress alone."_ he said, grinning. Rinoa chuckled.

_"And you were right. I did."_ she replied.

_"Rinoa, you didn't need to prove a point to anyone by doing that…"_ he said, turning to look at her.

_"You know me too well… Gets on my nerves…"_ she said, grinning.

_"Are you OK now?"_ he asked.

_"Yeah, better… That woman is no fool, Seifer. She got to me immediately. We're up against a tough enemy."_ Rinoa said, hugging her knees.

_"I figured as much… What did you try to do to her?"_ he asked.

_"I found an Odine Bangle inside the house. They're supposed to suppress a Sorceress' powers."_ narrated Rinoa _"I tried to present it to her as a gift, me being the General's daughter and all, but she got to me and put me under her spell. And… you know the rest…"_ she finished, looking down at her feet.

            Seifer wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Rinoa rested her head on his shoulder. 

_"*Sigh* If it weren't for you guys, now I'd…"_ she trailed off.

_"Don't think about that anymore; it's over."_ Seifer said _"'Sides,"_ he added, looking over at Squall _"Now you got your own personal hero. So look on the bright side of things." _Rinoa chuckled. _"What's goin' on over there?"_ he asked, looking over at Squall and Irvine.

_"I dunno… Come on, let's go see…"_

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            Squall checked his watch, only to see that they were less than five minutes away from eight, and turned his attention to Irvine, who was sitting down quietly, not saying a word. Squall looked at Irvine, frowning **_'Huh…? Is he freaking out?!'_** he thought. He walked over to him and kneeled by his side.

_"Don't tell me you're getting the jitters…"_ he said.

_"I…I can't do it…"_ Irvine mumbled, looking up at Squall.

            Suddenly, the carousel cart began ascending and everyone looked around them bewildered. The clock had hit 2000 hours. Edea's vehicle was just passing by the gateway. Squall looked over at the gate eagerly, and within seconds, the gates trembled only to finally fall down and trap Edea's vehicle. The sorceress immediately got up and looked around her, her face visibly agitated.

_"__Irvine__ Kinneas!"_ Squall yelled.

_"I… I can't… I'm sorry. I can't do it. I always freeze like this…"_ Irvine apologized _"I try to act cool, joke around, but I just can't handle the pressure…"_

_"Forget it. Just shoot."_ insisted Squall.

_"My bullet… The sorceress… I'll go down in history. I'd change the history of Galbadia… Of the world! It's all too much…"_ mumbled Irvine.

_"Enough! Just shoot!"_

_"I can't, dammit!"_ snapped Irvine.

_"__Irvine__, calm down.__ Everyone's waiting on you."_ Squall began, calmly _"I don't care if you miss. Whatever happens, just leave the rest to us. Just think of it as a signal. A sign for us to make out move."_

_"Just a signal…"_ Irvine muttered **_'That's it…'_** thought Squall.

_"Please."_

            Irvine sat up and headed for the edge of the carousel clock. Seifer and Rinoa were about to ask Squall what was going on, when Squall raised a hand up, silencing them. He was afraid they might freak Irvine out again.

_"…Just a sign."_ Irvine mumbled.

            He raised the riffle and aimed. Squall noticed that beads of seat were beginning to form and glisten on his forehead. Irvine hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and fired. A loud banging sound was heard and a bullet flew out of the gun's nozzle and towards the gate. It passed right through the gate's grating, but the Sorceress didn't get wounded. She immediately extended her arm, casting a barrier around her, which deflected the bullet. Back on the carousel, Irvine cursed under his breath and fell back.

_"…I'm sorry."_ he whispered.

_"It's OK. Your aim was perfect."_ said Squall, getting up. He turned to look at Seifer _"You wanted your chance? Well you got it. I'm goin' in for the Sorceress. Are you coming?"_ he asked. Seifer smirked the slightest bit and nodded _"Good._ _Irvine, Rinoa, just be ready to back us_ _up."_

            Squall walked over to the edge of the carousel clock, closely followed by Seifer. The brown-haired SeeD turned and looked at the tall blond for reassurance. Seifer gave him a firm nod, and both men drew out their gunblades. Seifer made a feral grin and jumped off the clock first. His long trench coat flowed in the air as he descended. Right on cue, Squall leaped forward, rolling in mid-air. Seifer landed down on the ground, aiding himself spring up by his palm, which touched the terrain beneath him. He jumped up again, landing right upon the abandoned car before him. Squall knocked out a soldier that came on his way and followed Seifer's lead, landing onto the passenger's seat, next to him. Seifer turned the engine on and drove off, speeding among the crowds, heading right for the Gates, where the Sorceress was trapped. Taking a swift turn to the right, he stopped the car parallel to the Gates. Squall exited first, sliding through the large opening of the railing, beginning to climb up the vehicle. Seifer followed right behind him, hauling his bodyweight up on the floor of the parade vehicle. The two men stood beside each other, facing the woman before them. Edea narrowed her eyes at them and slowly got up…   

                                                                                                                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_"So… the time has come SeeDs…" _she spoke, her voice rich and rasp.

            Hey amber eyes traveled from one mercenary to the other, studying them both carefully. She stopped her gaze upon Seifer, her full lips upturning into a feral smile.

_                        And once again you come before me, boy…_

_"I **told** you…" _Seifer hissed furiously, preparing a spell in his fingers_ "DON'T CALL ME A BOY!!!" _he yelled. On his side, Squall looked at him wide-eyed.

            He extended his arm towards her, a yellowish-white aura escaping his fingers. Holy. Sorceress Edea merely winced the tiniest bit as the spell hit her and stood back up straight. She opened her eyes and smirked at him.

_                                    Surely you can do better than that…_

            Seifer gritted his teeth and hardened his grip on Hyperion. He lunged forward, letting out a cry, preparing to slash the woman in half with the sharp edge of his blade. He was less than three feet close to her, when Edea simply raised her hand. Seifer felt a strong barrier-like force rise before him and push him back fiercely.  

                        _You have still much to learn boy…But I can help you, you know… All you have to do… is join me._

            Seifer narrowed his eyes at her, while sprawled down on the floor of the vehicle.

_"What the hell is wrong with you?" _Squall hissed at him _"Don't attack her alone. We'll do it together."_

                                    _See how he's holding you back? He's always been doing that, hasn't he? Always stealing your thunder…_

            Seifer's facial expression became milder. 

                        _It doesn't have to be like this anymore… You can prove to everyone how much stronger you are… All you have to do, is get up and come to me…_

            Seifer swallowed with difficulty. His heavy breathing had now calmed down. Squall looked from him to the Sorceress, noticing that she never broke eye contact with Seifer.

                                    _So what do you say, boy? Will you… be my Knight?_

_"Yes… Yes I will…" _Seifer whispered, slowly getting up **_'What the HELL?!'_** Squall's mind screamed.

            Seifer got back up on his feet, clearing his trench coat from the dust, and took the first step forward to her. Squall's eyes widened and he grabbed Seifer's collar.

_"Seifer, what are you doing?! Don't let her manipulate you like that!" _he hissed at him.

_"**QUIET YOU!**" _boomed Edea, casting a Fire spell onto Squall.

            The brown-haired SeeD let out a yelp of pain and stepped back, falling down to the floor. Meanwhile, Seifer was walking towards Edea, as if in a trance. Squall was overcome with panic; if Seifer joined her, then things would get a lot tougher… And he couldn't just let him be seduced by Edea like that. Even though he hated that guy's damned guts… He had to think of something… Something that would make him snap out of it… There **had** to be a way… His eyebrows arched.

_"SEIFER, DON'T!" _yelled Squall _"Think of what she did to **Quistis**!"_

            The blond froze on his tracks. He turned his head abruptly and looked at Squall, who looked back at him eagerly, shaking his head, mouthing 'Don't do it'. Squall smiled inwardly; it seemed like Seifer did have a weak spot after all… The blond SeeD seemed to be in utter confusion… **_'Now would be a REALLY good time for the others to show up, dammit! What are they doing?!' _**thought Squall. 

                                    _Are you going to listen to **him** now?! He's only trying to hold you back again!_

            Seifer had never felt more torn in his life. Half of him told him to take another step forward, while the other half told him to back out. Edea narrowed her eyes furiously and looked at him intently. The blond was about to speak, when something distracted him. A gunshot was heard out of nowhere. Edea snapped her head to the side immediately and barely made her move in time. She raised her palm, stopping the bullet that had raced towards her, stopping it only inches before it pierced through her head. Seifer looked behind him, only to find Rinoa and Irvine already onto the vehicle as well. Rinoa was helping Squall up, while Irvine was still aiming his shotgun at her. Something seemed to click in Seifer's mind then, and he seized that opportunity to take a step backwards. Edea turned back to look at him, continuing to step backwards.

                        _You're betraying me for them and that slut of yours then? Fine then **boy**. Have it your way…_

            Seifer's jade eyes widened and he fell down on his knees. Edea had spread her palm towards him, and as she twisted her fingers, Seifer felt more and more pressure around his neck. He moved his hands to his neck, trying to find what was causing him to choke, but realized he could do nothing about it; Edea was controlling it fully. Her amber eyes had narrowed to slits and the pressure around his gullet was becoming unbearable. Behind him, Rinoa was casting a quick Cure spell on Squall, while Irvine cast a Thundara spell on Edea, trying to weaken her down. Seifer fell down on his back, eyes rolling back into their sockets.

_"Quick… Leonhart… finish her off…" _Seifer croaked between chokes and gasps for air.

            His vision was getting more and more blurry. He barely heard Rinoa's cry for him and could only make out a black blur attacking the Sorceress. He made one last gasp for air, before feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders and hearing Edea's enraged voice as three icicles hovering in mid-air raced over him towards the others in the back. He closed his eyes, hearing another scream escape Rinoa's lips; only this time, it wasn't addressed to him. 

            And then… darkness…

* * *

**A/N:** So Seifer ain't that strong against Edea… She has a great influence on him. You see, I always believed that the bad 'seeds' were planted within Seifer all the time, and the situations he came to face just helped them grow. Different situations here, different results as well. But still, it's always been his dream… A fact which I'll be stressing in future chapters and be working upon… 

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_As you might have guessed, the D-District prison comes next…_

_So the sequence should pretty much evolve like it did in the game, right? _

_Not really… _

_You see, our heroes come to face three different situations that need to be handled immediately, instead of just two. I'll let you guess what the third one will be ^_~_

_And I promise! Last Quistis-less chapter!_


	16. Chapter 15: The desert prison

**A/N:** *Sigh* I give up… The damned site can spoil my format all it wants… I won't keep trying… Sorry if this is a bitch to read, with the sentences all stuck together in one huge mass, but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong… I'm uploading the chapters **exactly** as I was doing before, but something's wrong now… Aaaaanyway….

The D-District prison chapter… I think it's the biggest chapter I've ever written so far… Almost 8000 words!  Hope you like it.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ The six teenagers move on with their mission in Deling City. All goes as planned, until Rinoa takes on the Sorceress, Edea avoids Irvine's shot and Seifer almost joins their enemy…_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                          Chapter 15: The desert prison **

* * *

* * *

_            Seifer was standing on the moving carousel clock. He was resting his right hand upon the Hyperion blade, looking down at the parade below his feet. People cheered, dancers engaged into an orgasmic choreography and glittery confetti fell before his eyes. He reached out with his hand and encased some within his gloved palm. Magenta, silver, pickle green, sky blue and gold, colored the black leather glove and his fingers coiled around his palm._

_            Suddenly, the deafening uproar of the parade died down, only to be replaced by an eerie silence._

_            He looked around bewildered; the incessantly moving and slithering bodies had frozen on the spot and the confetti had turned silvery white, like snow. In fact, everything around him now seemed to be painted to the bone by the shiniest, most shimmering white color. The confetti, the parade vehicles, the bodies. Everything except for his own attire. His usual clothing was still the same, only coated with the darkest of blacks. His long trench coat now flowed in ebony glory, the sleeves emblazoned with two stunningly silver Fire Crosses. The usually blue in his vest was now black, adorned by a grey cross in front and only his pants were of the same color as before. _

_            Seifer jumped off the carousel and down to the main Boulevard of Deling City. He made his way through the statue-like figures surrounding him. Cold stone faces and vacant expressions he met with… And then he saw it; Edea's vehicle, in a glory of milky white, like everything around him. He tightened his grip and moved his pace up towards the vehicle. He reached the front end and swiftly climbed upon it. He stood up daringly, clenching the handle of Hyperion tightly and moved towards Edea's throne, whose back could be seen._

_            And then, his feet took him to a halt, as the throne slowly turned around and its occupant was brought to light.  _

_            Quistis._

_            Not Edea, Quistis._

_            Quistis, in blinding garments of ivory, matching the surroundings._

****

****_The young woman smiled at him warmly and stood up. Her long, white, strapped gown seemed to be made of myriads of silk veils, all falling down graciously, embracing her perfect form. Her blonde hair fell in two thick golden locks in front of her shoulders, and her eyes… Hyne… Her eyes glowed like sapphires on her porcelain face. Her bare feet carried her in small, even steps towards him. He now stood in awe at the glowing figure approaching him. His grip loosened on his sword and his previously tensed muscles relaxed._

_            Quistis stopped only a few inches before him, smiling. She raised one perfectly manicured hand, tracing her index finger down his face. Seifer closed his eyes and felt the tip of her nail trickled down his forehead, down his nose and to his lips, slightly lingering there. Not entirely certain why, he slowly kneeled before her, as she dragged her finger down his lips, onto his chin._

_            His knees made contact with the tiles below him and he opened his eyes, looking up at her. _ 

_            The finger loitering on his chin was accompanied by four more, which gingerly slid to his cheek, cupping it. Her other palm did the same and her face leaned down to his._

_            Two pairs of warm lips united in hunger and fiery lust. _

_            So fiery, that the environment around them burst into flames. A big circle of fire encased the parade vehicle and the white confetti turned into crimson sparks that slowly turned to ashes as they fell to the ground._

_            Quistis withdrew her lips and Seifer opened his eyes, looking around him bemused. She spoke in an unearthly voice._

_                                                            **Come with me…**_

****

_            'Come? Come where?'_

_                                                                                                                        **Come to a place of no return…**_

****

_            'Quistis?'_

**_                                                                        Come boy, to a dream beyond your fantasy… _**

****_'That's not you…'_

            _The blonde stepped backwards, her warm smile turning into an ominous one. She threw her head back and laughed heavenly. Seifer looked at her bewildered, his lips parting. He was still kneeling on the ground. All of a sudden, Quistis' laughter turned into a shrilled, high-pitched one. Seifer watched in horror, as the roots of her fair hair darkened slowly, tainted with a tar-like substance, gradually spreading from the roots to the tips of her locks. The blackness spread to her gown, the straps elongating into sleeves that ended into mauve claws, the cleavage ripping down to her naval. Her sky blue eyes disappeared behind long eyelashes, as her flowing jet-black hair shrunk down to ember locks, then formed into a purple headdress around her head. Her eyes flew open into amber orbs._

_            She wasn't Quistis anymore, but Edea. She leered down upon him, snapping her claw-like fingers in the air. A thin, sharp icicle appeared, hovering in mid-air. She moved her jagged, slender fingers towards him and the icicle followed her lead, piercing its way right through Seifer's heart…     _

                                                                                                                                                                              ******

            Seifer awoke with a start, almost choking on his sharp intake of breath. He was gasping for air, clutching his heart that was speed-racing like mad. He looked around him frantically only to find himself within an environment he didn't recognize. He crawled onto the cold, metal floor in a struggle and touched the walls around the small room. Metal. 

            A cell. 

            He was imprisoned.

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            Squall squirmed around. He groaned and winced in pain, slowly opening his eyes. His steel blue eyes focused and slowly began to get used to the dimness of the room he was in. He made a move to get up from whatever he had been lying upon, only to find himself rolling off that something, making hard contact with the metal floor below him. Metal? The young SeeD helped himself up and looked around **_'Where am I…?' _**he thought. The small room he was in, contained nothing but a tiny bed on which he had apparently been lying upon and nothing else. It looked like a… prison cell.

            Squall rubbed his forehead **_'Me and Seifer… We challenged Edea… He… he tried to… She lured him to her… Idiot… But then he stepped back… And she was choking him… Then Rinoa and Irvine came… And she… She hit me…' _**he thought, touching his chest **_'My wound… What? No wound…? But, how…? Damn, I'm alive? What about the others…? We got surrounded by Galbadians… Where are the others? And… Seifer… is he…….?' _**

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            Seifer rested his aching back against the cold metal wall behind him. He looked underneath his coat, near his belt. No weapon. They'd confiscated his Hyperion… He cursed. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he found the only possession of his that hadn't been taken. His cigarettes. Grateful for the **one** thing that was going on well in his life right now, he lit the last remaining cigarette in his crumpled Marlboro pack and took a long drag, wrinkling the empty pack and tossing it to a corner. He sighed and rubbed his forehead as he exhaled the smoke. His mind felt unusually… 'light'. Normally, he could feel Ifrit's presence, lurking within the depths of his brain, but right now, the sensation inside his head matched the one he used to have when he hadn't junctioned a GF before. Weird… No-one could have possibly un-junctioned his GF. Unless they drew it from him… But they'd have to know that to draw. Maybe they'd cast Scan on him and found Ifrit. Shit… He'd hate to lose Ifrit. The damned GF was a nuisance with its smart-ass comments, but was more than useful in battle… **_'Just stop thinkin' about it Almasy… I won't do ya any good…'_**

            He sighed. After that fight with Edea, he could remember nothing. There was just this great, big void in his mind… All he'd heard before passing out was Rinoa's scream. She had called out for Squall. Had something happened to him? Last time he'd seen him, he'd lunged upon the Sorceress. At least… he **thought** it was him… He'd just seen a black blur heading for her, so he assumed it was him. And those icicles… The ones he'd just seen in his dream… To whom where those headed? It couldn't have been to himself; he'd seen them fly above him. He cursed. What the hell had happened to everyone else? Rinoa, Squall, that Irvine guy, Zell, Selphie? Were they all in a cell like he was? Probably… After all, they **had** attacked the Sorceress. And the President wouldn't let them get away with it… That son-of-a-bitch was Edea's lackey…

            He cursed again. There was no doubt that they'd all get executed for this. Hanged… Maybe shot… Either way, they'd end up six feet under the ground eventually… He sighed. At least Quistis had gotten away with it… She'd be back in Garden by now, possibly having already recovered. Quistis… He'd dreamed about her just before… He chuckled. Well, at least before he died, he'd gotten a chance to make out with Balamb Garden's most wanted 'prize'. He smiled at the not too distant memory of cornering her inside a dark pub back in Timber. His initial intention was to protect both of them from the Galbadians, but he had to admit that he'd enjoyed it. Far more than he ever thought he would… He sighed again. He wondered how things would have turned out between them if he'd returned back to Balamb alive and there were no threats of Sorceresses hanging above their heads… He scoffed. Trepe would probably shake his hand and welcome him back and then go on with her life. A woman like her wasn't made for swooning over guys like him. And guys like him, weren't made to **_'Give so much damned thought to a fucking kiss…' _**But he had to admit, when he'd kissed her, he felt something 'ignite' within her. At first she'd been frozen still, but then… Then she'd reciprocated his kiss quite willingly… **_'Oh fuck it…' _**Seifer thought taking the last drag from his cigarette before the fire reached the orange butt **_'What's the fucking use of giving it any thought? I'll most likely be dead within a few hours… Days at the most…' _**     

            The creaking of the door opening disrupted his thoughts. Seifer threw the cigarette over to a corner and looked up at the man… no wait, **men**, that had walked inside his cell. He cocked a questioning eyebrow at them as they approached him. The one in front smirked and hit his glob playfully on his free palm. Another one pressed a button on the small silver device he was carrying and suddenly, a sliver of electricity appeared dancing upon the two small wires hanging on one top. A taser. Seifer swallowed hard. That didn't look good…  The guy holding the glob approached him ominously, and with one sharp move, brought his weapon down at him. Seifer grabbed it just in time.

- _"What the fuck do you think you're d-"_ he began, but was interrupted by a sudden shock of electricity on his back.

            He winced and fell face first onto the metal floor.

- _"Cuff him." _said the man with the glob.

Immediately, two men rushed behind Seifer, bringing his arms behind his back, handcuffing his wrists. Seifer yanked his body upwards, trying to break free, but to no avail. He stayed down on the floor, kneeling, glaring at the guy before him.

- _"Not so threatening without your weapon, are you, you SeeD punk?" _the warden asked, smirking.

            Seifer growled and spat at him. The guard closed his eyes and frowned. He wiped the spit off his face with a handkerchief, which he then shoved at Seifer. The blond swung it off his head with one sharp move, muttering curses under his breath. The same man, grabbed Seifer's vest and pulled his face up to meet with his.

- _"Next time you pull something like that, you're dead." _he hissed at him, then laid a hard punch on his face.

            Seifer groaned in pain, as the ring on the man's middle finger scraped the skin on his cheekbone, leaving a deep cut. The blond cursed and wiped his bleeding wound on the shoulder of his trench coat. The man grabbed him from the vest again, banging him hard onto the wall behind him.

- _"And now, we're going to take a little trip…" _he said, grinning deviously.

            As the two guards walked to his sides and picked him up, a terrible feeling raced within Seifer's body. He didn't like that sound of that… Not one bit…

            The men dragged him out of the cell and as Seifer looked around him, his previous speculation that he was in a prison was confirmed. The guards pushed him up several stairways, kicking and punching him on the way. Seifer easily towered all of them, and he was definitely stronger, maybe even stronger than all of them put together, but he was handcuffed. And he didn't even have Hyperion with him. The sentries finally brought him outside a large metal door. One of them made a move to walk over and open, when the door flew open from inside. Two men, similarly dressed as those guarding Seifer came out, carrying someone on their shoulders. Seifer's lips parted. 

            Squall. In his black attire, now tattered, torn and dirty, his face scratched and bruised. His usually impeccable hair now hung miserably in sweaty and dirty locks and by the looks of him, he was unconscious. Seifer only hoped he wasn't dead… The two sentries carrying him approached the party guarding Seifer. The guy holding the glob spoke.

- _"Did you get anything outta him?" _he asked. One of the men shook his head.

- _"Tough nut to crack, this one. He didn't say a word. Just passed out cold after a while." _he replied.

- _"Fine. Take him back in his cell. We've got number two on our list to 'test' out now…" _the man with the glob said, smirking at Seifer.

            The blond watched as the two guards carried the unconscious Squall back to his cell. One of the men behind him shoved him forward and in through the open metal door. Seifer stumbled a bit and walked inside the chamber he was taken to. He looked around him. The room was quite large, filled with many contraptions, but there was only one that caught Seifer's eye immediately upon entering. A large, cross-like device, with chains hanging from the top sides. Two more guards joined the quartet that had brought Seifer and five of them restrained him as the last one undid his cuffs. Once released, Seifer struggled to get free, but he was already weakened. Besides, the man with the glob lost no time in striking him hard with his weapon across the face. Coughing and spitting blood, Seifer felt many hands tie his wrists and body on the device, rendering him helpless. The guy with the glob stopped in front of him and motioned to one of the guards to move to another device close-by. Through half-open eyes, Seifer noticed a lever protruding from it.   

- _"I'll even be willing to show mercy for scum like yourself." _the man with the glob said _"Just tell me all about SeeD."_

- _"What?" _Seifer croaked. He really hadn't understood what the man had asked him.__

- _"Tell me what's the secret of SeeD and you'll be in no pain." _the guard repeated.__

- _"What the hell are you talking about?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"You asked for it." _said the man, signaling the other sentry by the lever.__

            The man nodded firmly. Seifer's eyes widened as he saw him pull down the lever.

            Throughout the top floors of the prison, screams of pain could be heard for many minutes to follow…

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            _Hyne, Ellone… Stop that… I can't watch this anymore…_

_                                                                                                            I had no idea what they went through either, Quisty… I'm really sorry…_

_                                    I was there, too… But I wasn't tortured thankfully…_

_                                                                                                                                    It must have been terrible…_

_                                                                                                Not more terrible than it obviously was for them though… Could we please see something else?_

_                                                            Of course…_

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            Rinoa was sitting down on the cold floor of a cell, hugging her knees. Selphie and Zell were inside with her. Selphie was, like her, deep in thought, while Zell had long ago fallen asleep all of a sudden. Rinoa guessed it had to do with that 'Dream world' they'd all been talking about. She sighed. Last night had been a true nightmare; possibly the worst one so far in her life. Both Seifer and Squall had been severely injured, if not –Rinoa dreaded- **dead**, they had all been captured and put into prison and would probably have to face an awful fate very soon… Although Vinzer Deling was now dead by the hand of the Edea, the Galbadians still wouldn't let this incident pass by. And certainly not the Sorceress, who seemed to have taken over Rinoa's home country completely by now.

            Where were Seifer and Squall? Had the Sorceress really killed them? If not during the battle, were they dead by now? She sighed as her eyes began to water. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the baby blue gloves on her wrists, smudging them with black mascara. But she couldn't care any less right now… All she wanted was to see them again and get out of this awful place… She wanted to see Seifer again; she couldn't lose him now that they'd resolved their differences. He'd been right; he **was** a good friend. And Rinoa wished more than anything that they'd get the chance to be together again. As friends… On the other hand, she wanted to see Squall just as bad. Only… it felt… 'different' with him. She certainly couldn't call Squall a 'friend', but she felt something very strong for him. Something she couldn't really make out… 

            Her brown gaze fell upon Zell, who was stirring on the floor, obviously about to wake up. The blond squirmed and rubbed his blue eyes open.

- _"The 'Dream world' again Zell?" _asked Rinoa.

- _"Uh-huh…" _he mumbled, yawning and stretching.

- _"How's Laguna doin'?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Dunno… I didn't see him." _said Zell _"It's not like I know everything about Ward, but… Well, you know how Laguna and co. went to that Centra place and got into a real fix, right?" _he asked. Selphie nodded _"After that, Ward's been all alone. He's working in some sort of prison-like place. And he's bored outta his mind! All he wants is to be figh-"_

            All three heads turned as the door opened and three guards came inside. Two of them, were carrying the towering form of a blond man in a grey trench coat. Rinoa's eyes widened.

- _"Seifer!" _she exclaimed, as the men dumped his unconscious body onto the floor.

            She held him gingerly and turned him over with Selphie and Zell's aid, gasping once she saw his face. His left cheekbone had a visibly deep cut on it and blood was dried up upon the wound. His right eye was bruised, his bottom lip was bleeding, his hair was dirty and messy, almost drenched in sweat, and his clothes were frayed. He was barely breathing. 

- _"We thought we'd bring him over to have some company…" _said one of them, smirking _"Make sure he doesn't die on you. The Sorceress would be most displeased not to exterminate him herself." _

- _"Why you-"_ Rinoa began, through clenched teeth.

            One of the guards raised his balled fist threateningly at Rinoa, but Zell stepped in front.

- _"Are you really going to hit an unarmed woman, you coward?! Why don't you try picking someone your own size?!"_ he growled at him.

- _"Fine by me."_ said the man, narrowing his eyes at Zell.

He aimed to land his punch onto Zell, but the young SeeD caught his fist with ease in mid-air, taking the opportunity to strike him hard in the stomach. The guard winced and fell back-first onto the floor. Swiftly, the other two retaliated and began hitting Zell mercilessly with their globs.

- _"Stop it!" _yelled Selphie and Rinoa in unison.

- _"*Scoff* Insolent fool. Just wait till your 'turn' comes…" _said one man _"Now. Before I forget. Is there a Rinoa here?" _he asked.

- _"I'm Rinoa." _Rinoa said, arching a questioning eyebrow.

- _"Alright. Then come over here." _he said, motioning Rinoa to step outside.

- _"Whaddya doing to Rinoa, you bastard?!" _Zell hissed, still lying on the floor. The guards cursed and began hitting him again.

- _"Stop it already!" _Selphie almost pleaded.

- _"Stop. I'll go." _Rinoa said firmly.

- _"Rinoa, don't…" _Selphie whispered to her.

- _"I'll be fine." _Rinoa reassured her _"Let's go."_

            The three guards took Rinoa outside, closing the door behind them.

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            Seifer winced and hissed, suddenly opening his eyes. The last thing he remembered was passing out cold in the torture room. As he opened his eyes though, he found himself inside a cell similar to the one he was before, only this time, he had company. Selphie and Zell. He could see Zell, kneeling on the floor across him, while Selphie had his head resting on her lap, cleaning his wounds. 

- _"Well, well… Look who's back from the dead… Can't say I'm **too** happy though…" _Zell said, grinning.

- _"Shut up, wuss…"_ Seifer croaked, grimacing, trying to get up.

- _"Stay down!" _Selphie shouted at him, shoving him down from the shoulder.

            She was holding what looked like a wet piece of cloth and was wiping his facial cuts clean.

- _"Where am I?" _asked Seifer.

- _"In a cell, duh…" _Selphie replied.

- _"I **know** that Messenger-Girl!" _snapped Seifer _"I meant which cell. I was alone before…"_

- _"Dunno. We were instantly brought here." _replied Zell.

- _"Where's Rinoa and that Irvine guy?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Rinoa was here with us, but she was taken by some guards. We didn't see Irvine at all." _replied Selphie.

- _"What?!" _snapped Seifer _"Where did they take Rinoa?!"_

- _"We dunno… And we still haven't seen Squall…" _said Zell, frowning.

- _"Saw him." _said Seifer _"They have him in a cell upstairs. I saw him when they were taking him out of the room they took me in. He was unconscious."_

- _"What did they do to you?" _asked Selphie.

- _"You don't wanna know…" _Seifer replied, closing his eyes _"Hsss! Watch it!" _he hissed, as Selphie wiped his bottom lip.

- _"Sheesh, what a baby…" _Selphie said, shaking her head in disbelief.

- _"Where did you get water anyway? I'd kill for a sip right now…" _said Seifer.

- _"Magic's not working very well in case you might have noticed. But I had some water spells that worked weakly, so there…" _replied Selphie.

- _"So… You got no weapons either?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Nope." _replied Selphie.

- _"Great… So all of us were stripped from everything; weapons, money, SeeD ID… Only that wuss there got to keep something…" _Seifer said, motioning to Zell.

- _"Keep what?" _asked Zell, frowning.

- _"Your fucking weapon… Geez, are you blind or something?!" _Seifer said exasperated.

            Zell looked down at his fists. His eyes became saucer-like.

- _"Hey! My weapons are these fists o' mine!" _Zell exclaimed _"Those idiots didn't know and didn't remove my gloves!"_

- _"Well fucking Bingo, chicken! Tell the boy what he won, Suzie!" _said Seifer sarcastically.

- _"Shut up Seifer, Zell might be our only chance to get out of here." _Selphie said.

- _"Really? How? All I'm saying is that he's armed. He'll probably get lost the moment he steps out anyway…" _Seifer replied shrugging.

Zell was about to talk back to Seifer, when he suddenly realized something.

- _"Wait!" _he shouted.

- _"Louder. A giant sand worm from Dune lurking outside didn't hear you." _Seifer said mockingly.

- _"'Sand worm'?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Well, we're obviously in the D-District prison in Galbadia, aren't we?" _said Seifer matter-of-factly _"That's where they take political criminals. 'Sides, it's close to Deling City."_

- _"I was just about to say that! Will you shut up and listen?" _Zell said, aggravated _"I came here as Ward in the 'Dream World'! I know this place!"_

- _"Really?" _asked Seifer incredulously, arching a fair eyebrow.

- _"Yes!" _exclaimed Zell _"If we get out of this cell, I can find my way around!"_

- _"Alright!" _Selphie chirped in glee _"Now all we need is a plan to-"_

            The brunette was interrupted, as the door opened again. A weird-looking creature, that resembled a small, standing lion walked inside, carrying a tray with food on its paws. A Moomba. A guard was standing on the doorway behind it. The Moomba walked inside, when it tripped and fell, spilling all the contents of the tray on the floor. The guard cursed and approached the Moomba, beginning to yell at it for its incompetence and hitting it with a glob. Seifer's eyes shined and he turned to look at Zell, who was closer to the guard, motioning towards him with his head. Zell looked back at Seifer, confused. Seifer rolled his eyes and did the same movement with his head again. Zell shrugged and mouthed 'What?', completely bemused.

- _"Oh for **fuck's **sake!" _Seifer yelled exasperated.

            He got up on his feet in one swift move, punching the guard hard on the mouth, sending a couple of blooded teeth flying across the room and the man fell in a crumple on the floor.

- _"And **that's** how it's done." _Seifer said smugly _"Now lead the way Chicken-wuss."_

- _"Wait a sec." _said Selphie, kneeling down next to the Moomba _"Are you OK little fella?" _she asked.

            The Moomba got up and growled in consent.

- _"We shouldn't leave the poor thing alone. Why don't we take him with us?"_ she said.

- _"Tsk, whatever. Let's just get the hell outta here." _said Seifer.

                                                                                                                                                   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer, Selphie, Zell and the Moomba slowly crept up a stairway, where a conversation between two soldiers could be heard. The two of them were standing before a pile comprised of their weapons. Seifer turned and looked at Zell, motioning him to go for the weapons, as he was the only one armed. Zell nodded firmly and stepped up. He approached the two guards, who didn't even get the chance to blink, before Zell knocked them unconscious with a mere punch by his Metal Knuckles. He quickly retrieved all weapons in his arms, hurrying over to the others. He handed Selphie her nunchaku and Seifer his Hyperion.

- _"Heh… whaddya know… He **is** useful after all…" _Seifer said, earning a glare from Zell _"Gimme Squall's gunblade, too. I might need it."_

            Zell tossed him Squall's Flame Saber as well. Seifer caught it with his left hand, swinging it around a bit.

- _"**So** not my style…" _he said disapprovingly.

- _"Well then…" _Selphie said, testing out her nunchaku _"Where are we headin'?" _she asked.

- _"Up. That's were Squall's cell is. We get him and then we figure out what to do." _said Seifer. 

- _"OK, let's go!" _said Zell excitedly, throwing punches in the air.

- _"Stop swatting flies, wuss." _Seifer said, shoving him lightly on the back on the head with the side of Hyperion. 

            Zell rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Seifer. He followed them all upstairs, taking one last glance on the floor they were leaving, when something caught his eye.

- _"Uhh… Guys…" _he mumbled, pulling Selphie's dress from behind _"I think we might have a problem…"_

- _"What?" _asked Seifer, frowning.

- _"That." _said Zell, pointing at one of the two guards, who had regained consciousness.

- _"Red alert! We have escapees in the building!" _the man yelled through his pocket radio _"I repeat: We have escapees in the building!" _

- _"Shit!" _Seifer cursed _"Come on, the damage is done. We gotta find Leonhart and skedaddle, quick!" _

            The quartet hurried up the stairs in a frantic attempt to make it as fast to Squall as possible. They'd only just reached the floor above them, when they came across a first small group of soldiers. The one in front, rushed over to Seifer who was leading the SeeD –and Moomba- group. The man raised his gunblade, ready to strike down at Seifer, but the blond was much quicker. With one swift move, he raised up both gunblades, piercing through the soldier's gut with ease. The man stopped in his tracks, gagging, as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Behind Seifer, Selphie winced and looked away as the blond simply shoved the man away, onto a crumple to the floor. Two officials followed the now fallen soldier. 

- _"Wedge! Attack those SeeD twerps and teach them a lesson!" _the higher-ranked one yelled.

- _"Y-y-yes Lt. Biggs, sir…"_ Wedge stuttered.

            Zell rushed in front and cornered Wedge, skillfully avoiding the swings of his gunblade. He punched the poor man in a stomach-face-stomach-face-face combo, leaving him with no choice but to fall unconscious in the floor in a heartbeat. The Lieutenant was now left to fight the three alone, but Zell and Seifer stepped aside to let Selphie do the honors. One swing of her nunchaku, and the man's throat was trapped within the chain holding the two pieces of her weapon together. Selphie laid a hard hit with her knee on the man's face, then kicked him down to the floor. The quartet lost no time and resumed their way to the next floor, when Seifer's senses picked up something coming from behind them. 

            He turned around the last minute and saw another soldier, ready to plunge his sword down his back. Quick as a thunder, Seifer swung Squall's gunblade onto the man's chest, leaving a deep cut on its trail, then twirled around in a three-sixty turn once more, slicing the man's head off with Hyperion in one graceful move. The soldier's head fell grimly onto the stairs and rolled away, leaving a trail of thick crimson fluid behind.

- _"Not a good time to 'lose one's head' I guess…" _Seifer said, swinging the two gunblades once, to rinse the extra blood away.

            Zell and Selphie grimaced in disgust and looked at Seifer, who merely smirked. Zell was about to speak, when a loud, deafening sound pierced his eardrums. Gunshot. Buckets of it. The three SeeDs and the Moomba immediately ducked, trying to hide out of harm's way. Seifer cursed audibly. They hadn't been fast enough; swarms of Galbadian soldiers had arrived, this time armed with guns. And now their close-range weapons were of no use. Seifer only had six bullets in Hyperion and they were surely no match for so many shotguns and pistols. 

- _"Dammit! We were so close!" _said Selphie dejectedly, as bullets flew over her head.

- _"Where's that guy Irvine when you need him?!" _said Zell, exasperated.

            Just then, as if Hyne had answered his prayer, another, louder sound of gunshot was heard. All heads turned towards the stairway only feet away from them, where the brown-clad cowboy stood, taking swift shots with incredible ease. Each and every one of them was precise and knocked one enemy down at the time. Selphie squealed in delight and Seifer grinned broadly.

- _"Come on!" _Seifer urged them, stealthily making his way over to Irvine.

- _"No, wait! I change my mind!" _Zell pleaded, looking upwards, to the ceiling _"I want ten million Gil!"_

- _"Come **on** Zell!" _Selphie said, pulling him from the collar of his shirt. 

            Irvine shot down the last one of the soldiers and twisted his shotgun around his wrist in a showy manner. He grinned and began descending the stairs cockily, only to be pushed by someone from behind. The cowboy lost balance and tripped down the stairs, followed by a grumpy-looking Rinoa.

- _"Stop trying to act so cool!" _she scowled at him _"Gee, if only you had agreed with me earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess!"_

Down on the floor, Irvine winced and rubbed his sore neck and head.

- _"Rinoa!" _Selphie shouted cheerfully.

- _"Hey! You're all alright!" _Rinoa squealed _"Seifer!"_ she cheered and ran over to him, hugging him tightly.

- _"Hey Rin… Glad to see you're OK…" _said Seifer, grinning.

- _"So everyone's OK? Where's Squall?" _she asked **_'Please, Hyne… Please tell me he's fine.'_**

- _"We're on our way to get him." _replied Zell _"Seifer said he saw him being taken to a cell upstairs."_

- _"But what about you?! You're OK!" _Selphie exclaimed.

- _"Of course." _Irvine spoke for the first time _"Courtesy of my escort…" _he said grinning, wrapping his arm around Rinoa's shoulder. 

- _"What's that supposed to mean?" _asked Zell, arching a fair eyebrow.

- _"Ah-"_ began Irvine, but Rinoa cut him off.

- _"My father pulled some strings with the military," _she began **_'AGAIN…' _**thought Seifer _"He told them to get me, and **only** me, out."_

- _"Then-"_ Irvine tried to talk.

- _"So this guy here," _Rinoa interrupted again _"He came and got me. Just me! Knowing you were all captured!"_

- _"Ahh… That's-"_ Irvine tried to redeem himself.

- _"Isn't that horrible?"_ went on Rinoa.

- _"Alright, alright! I said I was sorry!" _snapped Irvine _"That's why I'm here to help!"_

- _"After I scratched you to death…" _Rinoa mumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

- _"Uhh… A-a-anyhow, now's our chance." _said Irvine.

- _"Alright. We don't have any time to lose. Let's head up." _said Seifer, running back over to the stairway, followed by everyone else.
    
                                                                                                                                                       *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall fluttered his eyes open. For the second time that day, he found himself regaining consciousness after a severe injury. His whole body ached and his head was spinning like crazy. He groaned and turned over, lying onto his stomach on the bed. He wondered how much more of that he could take. He wondered how much more of that would **take** to finish him off… He sighed. Burying his head in his forearms, he tried to get some sleep. There wasn't much he could do in there anyway…

- _"That's the cell! I'm certain!"_

            Squall head shot up in the air, hitting the low ceiling above it. He winced and rubbed it in comfort. A muffled voice had just come right outside his cell door…

- _"OK, but how do we get inside?"_

- _"I dunno! I just led the way here! **You** do some thinking for a change!"_

- _"What the-?"_

- _"What's the little dude doin'?"_

- _"I dunno…"_

- _"What is he…? Is he opening the lock?!"_

- _"Whoa, those little fellas seem to be able to open just about **anything** in here!"_

- _"Booyaka!"_

            Just when Squall got **really** curious about what was going on outside his cell door and was about to get up, the door flew open, only to reveal all his comrades waiting outside. And apparently, accompanied by a weird creature, which Squall recognized as a Moomba.  

- _"Squall! You're safe!" _squealed Rinoa **_'Squall's alive! I knew he would be! Squall's OK!'_**

- _"Dude!" _Zell exclaimed, running over to him.**__**

****

****

The Moombarushed over as well, sniffing Squall, licking one of his wounds **_'What the hell?' _**thought Squall.

- _"Laguna! Laguna!" _the Moomba exclaimed.

            Squall looked at it even more confused, as Zell helped him up on his feet, only to be mildly pushed away.

- _"That's OK, Zell. I can walk, thanks." _said Squall, getting up.

- _"OK 'Pubes', we don't have time for many explanations, we gotta get outta here quick." _Seifer said, motioning him to come outside.

- _"Where are we anyway?" _asked Squall wearily, joining everyone outside.

- _"In a prison." _replied Selphie.

- _"I figured as much…" _Squall mumbled, as they all walked up the few remaining stairways _"But where?"_

- _"D-District Prison." _replied Irvine _"It's in the desert."_

- _"And why are we going up? The exit should be downstairs." _Squall said, raising a questioning eyebrow.

- _"The exit's up there, Squall. You'll see…" _said Rinoa.

            Right on cue, the sextet reached the top floor, in a room full of computers and various machines. Rinoa ran over to the open door in the far side of the room. She looked outside, then turned over to the others.

- _"It's the exit! Come on!" _she shouted cheerfully and ran outside.

            The rest followed her lead, finding themselves out in an open area, where the three gigantic pieces that made up the entire prison were held together by long, metal bridges. Suddenly, the floor beneath them trembled, and the corkscrew-like parts of the prison began to drive into the sand.

- _"Hurry!" _Rinoa called, already half-way down the bridge to the other side.

            Her comrades ran right behind her, one by one sprinting down the metal bridge.  

- _"Oh, Leonhart. I forgot." _Seifer said to Squall as he made a move to cross the bridge, tossing him his gunblade.

- _"Thanks." _said Squall catching it _"Why is it all stained?" _he asked, noticing the blood shining scarlet on it. 

- _"Let's just say it was given the opportunity to make itself useful…" _replied Seifer smirking _"Come on, we're the last ones."_

            Squall nodded and made a run down the bridge. Seifer followed a few feet behind him. They were both close to the other side, where their friends were already waiting, when all of a sudden, the metal tiles of the bridge beneath them began to move backwards. 

            Squall lost his footing and tripped. Rinoa gasped as she was certain he'd fall down, when a firm hand gripped on the back of Squall's jacket, pulling him up, and shoving him to the front. Seifer leaped forward as the last tile raced behind him. The blond barely caught the steady edge of the bridge, hanging for dear life as the mechanical prison continued to descend. Rinoa and Zell who were closer both grabbed one arm and pulled Seifer up and on to safety. The young SeeD dropped onto the floor stomach first, glancing back at the height he had almost fallen off from. He sighed in relief…   

                                                                                                                                                   *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The six teenagers gathered outside, nearby two trucks stationed there, all having safely escaped from the prison. Seifer fell down on the sandy ground, leaning his back against one of the truck tires. He took a deep breath and wiped his sweaty forehead. Squall ran a hand through his hair, frowning a bit, seemingly deep in thought. Everyone looked from Seifer to Squall intently. Suddenly, Selphie broke the silence.

- _"Squall…" _she said meaningfully, looking at him.

- _"What?" _asked the brown-haired SeeD.

- _"We're all waiting…" _added Rinoa.

- _"Waiting for what?"_ asked Squall again, bemused.

- _"Don't you think you owe that guy over there a tiny bit of gratitude?" _said Irvine, moving his head towards Seifer.

            Seifer looked up, arching both eyebrows, smirking **_'Oh this oughta be GOOD…' _**he thought. Squall pursed his lips. His blue eyes fell upon Zell.

- _"What?! Don't look at me!" _said Zell exasperated _"I hate the guy, but I can't argue." _he added, shrugging.

            Squall met Seifer's gaze. The blond was staring at him, grinning **_'I bet you're enjoying this terribly, you bastard…' _**thought Squall. He sighed. Seifer had indeed helped him out of a tight spot just before and he **did** owe him a 'Thank you' or whatever, but did he **have** to do it in front of the others? Sighing once again, he spoke.

- _"Thank you." _he mumbled.

- _"What was that? I didn't hear you…" _Seifer said, folding his arms in front of his chest, grinning.

- _"I said **thank you**." _Squall repeated through clenched teeth **_'I am SO getting back at you for this, Almasy…'_**

- _"Alright then… Let's get goin', shall we?" _asked Seifer, getting up.

- _"Seifer…" _Rinoa said, glaring at him.

- _"OK **fine**." _said the blond sighing _"Don'tmentionitSquallIwasgladtohelpyouout." _he said in one breath, as if reciting a poem, not even looking at Squall _"There. Satisfied?" _he asked Rinoa _"Can we get going now?"_

- _"Erm… There's something you need to hear out first…" _Irvine said, stepping in front.

****

****

Everyone turned and looked at the cowboy, who seemed concerned about something.

- _"Oh, that." _said Rinoa _"Yeah, it's something we heard the Galbadians say."_

- _"What?" _asked Zell.

- _"The Sorceress is," _Irvine hesitated _"Planning to bomb Balamb and Trabia Garden."_

- _"WHAT?!" _yelled the others in unison.

- _"Yes, it's true." _said Rinoa _"She's going to make Galbadia Garden her base in a few days, after she clears out her business in Deling, and she's bombing the other two Gardens."_

- _"When?!" _asked Selphie, panicked.

- _"I dunno… Anytime soon I suppose…" _said Irvine, shrugging.

- _"And that's not all." _piped in Rinoa.

- _"What, there's more?!" _asked Zell.

- _"They've uhh…" _Rinoa began, taking a deep breath _"They've taken Instructor Trepe hostage. They never transferred her back to Garden."_

- _"**What** did you say?!" _Seifer hissed, his eyes widening fully.

- _"They… they said they were going to threaten Cid to surrender all his army to Galbadia and if he doesn't comply…then they'll bomb Balamb." _Rinoa mumbled.

            Seifer ran his palm down his face, breathing in deeply. He kicked one of the truck tires, mumbling something under his breath.

- _"Who's that Trepe lady?" _asked Irvine.

- _"Quistis Trepe. She's an Instructor from our Garden." _spoke Squall.

- _"She's just a year older than us. Seifer's age." _added Zell_ "She was with us when we first met the Sorceress and she was… hit by a spell."_

- _"We brought her over to your Garden and left her at the Infirmary." _finished Rinoa _"They said she would get better and that they were going to send her to Balamb Garden immediately." _

- _"I see…" _said Irvine, nodding _"She hot?" _he asked grinning, trying to loosen up the atmosphere.

            Seifer's eyes snapped open. He turned and looked at him, eyes full of rage. Irvine had barely time to blink, before Seifer grabbed his shirt roughly and pressed his chest against his.

- _"Hey, hey! I was only joking to loosen everyone up!" _Irvine protested _"Honest! No need to get mad!"_

- _"Just **pray** I don't get a hold of you 'in private' when all this is over… **cowboy**…" _Seifer growled.__

- _"Sorry, man! Didn't know she's your girlfriend!" _Irvine said apologetically.__

- _"Wha-! She's…She's not… She's **not** my girlfriend!" _Seifer hissed, letting go of Irvine's shirt, shoving him backwards.__

_                        I really don't see the reason over getting so upset, master. _

_            **'Ahh… Look who decided to show up at the -conveniently- worst time!'**_

****

- _"OK, OK, let's just all calm down here…" _Rinoa said _"This is no time to fight. We need to figure out what to do." _

- _"Rinoa's right." _spoke Selphie _"We'll have to divide into two teams. One should get back to Balamb and warn everyone. The other must interfere with the launch, before it's too late!"_

- _"And then we have to do something about Instructor Trepe." _said Zell.__

- _"So we should-"_ began Squall.

            The young SeeD never finished his sentence, as a distant sound was heard from the horizon, making everyone turn to that direction. A few missiles could be seen, piercing the air speedily. 

- _"I… I heard they were hitting Trabia first, and then Balamb…" _mumbled Irvine, shooting a sideways glance at Selphie.

- _"Trabia…" _whispered Selphie, falling down on her knees _"I'm sorry… I couldn't stop it… Please let everybody be alright… Please…"_

            Everyone remained silent for a fair five minutes. Irvine took out his hat and bowed his head like everybody else.

- _"That was a miss… right…?" _Selphie mumbled _"Squall, we have to report to Balamb! Who are you taking?" _she said suddenly _"I'm on the Missile base infiltration team! I **have **to be! They launched missiles at MY Trabia!"_ she hissed, eyes bloodshot.__

- _"Alright…" _mumbled Squall.__

- _"I don't mind which team you put me on." _Rinoa whispered to Squall, trying to make his decision a bit easier.__

            Squall fell in deep thought. Everyone was eagerly awaiting his decision, except for Seifer, who was leaning with his back against one of the trucks, lost in his own thoughts. Why did everyone have to rely on him like that? What if anything happened to the team he chose to take, or send to the base? How could he take the blame for something like this?

- _"Zell, Rinoa and I will head to Balamb." _said Squall eventually _"Seifer, Sel-"_

- _"Nuh-uh." _Seifer cut him off _"Count me out. I'm getting Trepe back."_

- _"What?" _asked everyone in unison.__

- _"You said it yourself before." _replied Seifer _"We've got three issues at hand. Save Balamb, infiltrate the Missile base and rescue Trepe from the Galbadians. So we need **three** teams. And I'm saying that I'm going for Trepe."_

- _"Fine." _said Squall _"Irvine and Selphie, you'll head for the Missile base."_

- _"Gotcha." _said Irvine.__

- _"Zell, you go with Seif-" _Squall began, but was interrupted again.__

- _"No frickin' way Leonhart." _Seifer said _"First of all, I ain't doing anything with Chicken-Wuss." _he added, earning a glare from Zell _"Second, I'm doing this alone."_

- _"You can't be serious."_ said Squall incredulously.__

- _"I sure as hell am." _Seifer insisted.__

- _"Seifer, you can't possibly barge inside Galbadia Garden and get Quistis all by yourself." _said Rinoa.__

- _"I can and I will, Princess." _Seifer retorted sarcastically.__

- _"Look, just be reasonable here. **Someone** needs to come with you." _Squall said.__

- _"Leonhart, if something goes wrong at the Missile Base you're gonna need a strong team to pull this off. And two just won't do it." _Seifer replied _"I'm telling you, I can do this. I'm not gonna just walk in there. I'll… I'll get some sort of disguise as a student I guess…"_

- _"I can't let you risk Instructor Trepe's safety like that." _Squall spat back _"If you go alone, you've got many more possibilities to put **both** your lives on the line."_

- _"Squally-boy… I never knew you cared…" _said Seifer, in mock-surprise.__

- _"I'm serious here, Almasy." _Squall retorted through gritted teeth.__

- _"So am I." _said Seifer, his eyes narrowing _"Everyone keeps sayin' how it's my fault Trepe's got her ass in a tight spot and although I hate to admit it, they're fuckin' right. And I won't have that, Leonhart. I **won't** be on Trepe's debt. She saves my ass, I save hers. It's only fitting."_

            Squall glared at Seifer and Seifer glared back at him. This was not a battle the brown-haired SeeD could win. He just had to… forfeit.  

- _"Alright." _Squall agreed half-heartedly _"But you'd **better **be careful, Almasy."_

- _"That goes without saying Mr. Leader." _Seifer said, matter-of-factly _"Just make sure you tell Cid not to surrender when you get to Garden. I'm getting Trepe outta there. I **won't** fail."_ he added firmly.__

- _"Fine…So the teams will go as such: Irvine and Selphie head for the base. Zell, Rinoa and I go back to Garden and Seifer," _Squall said, turning to look at Seifer, cocking an eyebrow _"Goes for Quistis."_

- _"Good. So how do we all get to out destinations?" _Irvine asked.__

- _"We and Seifer will take one truck to the train Station. From there, we grab separate trains. **Incognito**." _Squall emphasized _"You and Selphie get the other truck to the base. You'll probably find some uniforms or whatever in there."_

- _"Booyaka!" _said Selphie excitedly _"And Seifer, make sure you take good care of Instructor Trepe now, you hear?" _she said, winking at him.__

- _"What the hell is **that** supposed to mean?" _asked Seifer ominously, narrowing his eyes at her.__

- _"Oh, nothing…" _mumbled Selphie and headed towards the truck she and Irvine would travel into _"Seifer and Quisty, sittin' under a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." _she chanted, giggling.__

            Irvine and Zell snorted in laughter, Squall shook his head in disbelief, while Rinoa grinned and looked at a red from head-to-toe Seifer. The tall blond growled a bunch of curse words under his breath and strode over to the truck where Squall had just walked in. 

* * *

**A/N:** Is it just me, or is that little song about trees and kissing something that only a seventeen-year-old like Selphie would sing? And I **told** you I had something special planned for Quis's return… Clichéd, but special :-p  

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_For the meantime, we take a small 'break' from our narration for three main reasons:_

_One, because I want to show you how Quistis's attitude towards Seifer has changed so far._

_Two, because Ellone is bound to get tired at some point and be in need of a break._

_And three… Because I want to prolong your curiosity about what'll happen when Seifer goes to rescue Quistis ^_~ _


	17. Chapter 16: A small break

**A/N:** Hey y'all. What's up?

I know you'll be kinda disappointed by this chapter, but it's something that needs to be done from time to time, to keep a level of realism in the fic. The next chapter is ready, so I'll post it very soon. In a couple of days or so. Anyway, I tried to make this one somewhat enjoyable as well, even though nothing too important happens.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After escaping from D-District prison, our heroes split up into three teams: Selphie and __Irvine__ head for the missile base, Squall, Rinoa and Zell go back to B-Garden, and Seifer… goes for Quistis._

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                     Chapter 16: A small break **

* * *

* * *

_            *Oof* We'll have to stop for now Quisty… I'm pretty beat… And it's almost lunch time, everyone will start looking for us…_

_                                                Stop?! **Now**?! But it's just starting to pick up!_

_                                                                                                I know honey, but I need to regain some strength, or I won't make it later on today._

_                        *Sigh* I guess you're right…_

_                                                                                                            Lemme just terminate the connection and we can talk normally._

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis blinked a few times, slowly fluttering her eyes open. She stood up on her elbows and little by little raised her torso up. She looked around her, vision still full of 'dots' and head spinning the slightest bit. Ellone was sitting on the lower side of the double bed, rubbing her sore temples, her eyes closed. Quistis sighed as she glanced around the four walls of the main room. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd missed that dorm. It seemed like forever that she and Ellone had began viewing her past. The first morning that she woke up next to Seifer seemed decades ago.

- _"Are you alright Ellone?" _Quistis asked her 'big sister'.

- _"I'll be fine…" _replied the brunette, opening up her black eyes, offering a warm smile to Quistis _"I always get headaches after such… 'sessions'. All I need is an aspirin and I'll be fine."_

- _"Are you sure?" _Quistis asked, sitting up _"I really hate to be a burden to you with al this…"_

- _"Don't be ridiculous." _replied Ellone, shooting Quistis a glare.

            The older girl got up from the bed and stretched a bit, before sitting back down. Quistis got up and walked over to the bathroom **_'I know I'd spotted a medicine cabinet somewhere around here…' _**she thought. And she was right; next to all the other cabinets, a smaller one, with a green cross painted upon it. Quistis opened it, looking around for some aspirin. She found the small white box quickly and removed a pill from it. Filling a glass with water, she returned to Ellone's side, offering her the water and aspirin.

- _"Thanks." _said the brunette, swallowing the pill and emptying the glass in one big gulp.

            She handed the glass back to Quistis, who rested it on the nightstand.

- _"So," _spoke Ellone _"What do you think so far?"_

- _"Well…" _Quistis began, shrugging _"It's more than obvious where things are heading towards…"_

- _"Meaning?"_

- _"Meaning, that… Apparently Seifer comes and 'rescues' me, we fall in love, and live happily ever after…"_ replied Quistis, somewhat bitterly.__

- _"Do I sense a hint of disappointment there?" _Ellone asked, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"Well… It just makes me feel so… helpless. What am I? Some sort of incompetent, weak woman who's in need of her 'knight in shining armor' to come and rescue her? It just sounds nothing like me…" _replied Quistis.__

- _"You're too quick to make deductions." _Ellone said _"First of all, I never said this is the end of the story. Who said that after Seifer rescues you the world turns rosy all of a sudden?"_

- _"But-"_

- _"Let me finish, Quisty…" _Ellone interrupted her blonde sister _"Receiving help from someone when you need it, does not make you incompetentor weak. You helped Seifer when he needed it and now he's helping you back."_

- _"I guess so…"_ Quistis said shrugging _"Are you feeling better now?" _she asked, after a small pause.__

- _"Yes, just fine." _Ellone replied smiling _"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to my room and give Ethan a call. We'll continue later in the afternoon, alright?" _she asked, getting up.__

- _"OK. And thanks again."_ Quistis replied, walking her to the door.__

            Ellone made a move to walk out, but turned back to face Quistis.

- _"You know Quisty," _she began _"There's nothing wrong with having your own personal 'knight' as you called it. Everyone's life deserves to have a touch of magic, a touch of a fairy tale from time to time. It's only a matter of your point of view. You just have to fine-tune fairy tales to modern standards and be observational enough to notice that 'magic'." _Quistis arched both eyebrows questioningly _"For instance, knights in our times don't arrive on white horses and don't wield swords. They arrive on bikes and hold gunblades." _Ellone finished, winking at Quistis. She received an even more puzzled look from her _"You'll know what I mean in due time. I'll se you at lunch."_

            And with those words spoken, Ellone left the dorm and disappeared down the corridor, leaving Quistis more bewildered than ever.

- _"I need a long, hot shower…" _Quistis spoke out loud and headed towards the bathroom.  

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The warm spray of water that ran down Quistis's back, relaxed her tensed up muscles. Her slender fingers massaged her shampoo-filled scalp. She sighed and tilted her head down, under the tiny waterfall, rinsing off the raspberry scented product **_'I wonder what Ellone meant… Knight in our times arrive in bikes and hold gunblades… *Scoff* I suppose 'I'll find out in due time'. Hyne…' _**the blonde thought **_'All this information in one day… More like in a few hours… So let me get this all straight: Seifer made SeeD. On his first attempt. Damn, Hell has frozen over already. And then he made a move on me in the SeeD Ball. Horny little bastard… I'd only meant well… Anyway… Then he left for that camp -but I already knew that- and met Rinoa. _That** **_I did not know.' _**

****Quistis grabbed the small blue sponge next to her, filling its pores with similarly scented shower-gel. She began rubbing it against her skin, sighing in pleasure as the creamy, fragrant foam slid down her body. She shuddered **_'I also did _not_ need to know when and how they had their first time together… Thank Hyne Ellone cut that off soon enough… On the other hand, the whole scene with Caraway was more than amusing…' _**she thought, giggling **_'On the first opportunity presented, Seifer is sooo getting it… Alright… So then he came back to Garden and broke up with Rinoa. Squall passed, the whole incident with the 'Black Widow' never occurred, but we _did_ get info on the _****_Comm._********_Tower_****_ in Dollet.' _**Quistis applied some more shampoo on her hair **_'And then there's that incident with Seifer and Rinoa at the next Ball… They broke up for good then… And the next day the mission in Timber came up again. Only this time, the way me and Seifer got involved became a bit more… interesting, I suppose…' _**The blonde blushed a bit, as she washed off her hair once again.

            Sighing, she leaned against the tiles of the shower stall behind her. She shivered a bit at the cold sensation that ran down her spine and hissing softly, closed her eyes. Hyne… The way he'd held her that day… The way he'd kissed her… So… desperately, so demandingly. As if he'd been yearning to do so for ages. It probably meant nothing at the time but… Quistis traced her lips with her index and middle finger. She licked and bit her bottom lip, standing back up to finish that shower before more thoughts roamed around her mind again.

            **_'*Sigh* So now the situation stands as such: I -foolishly- tried to help Seifer and got myself severely injured, the mission with Edea in Deling went like normal, only now I became an additional problem for the others to solve after they escaped the desert prison. And Seifer… offered, well… _demanded_ to be the one to bring me back…Was he just trying to redeem himself or was it because…' _**Quistis shook her head in disbelief and ran the sponge along her skin one last time. She rinsed herself clean and turned the tap off.

            Stepping out of the shower, she rubbed her hair damp with a small towel, which she later on wrapped around her head in a turban, then grabbed a bigger one, wiping her skin dry. She adjusted the towel onto her cleavage and wiped the steam off the mirror. She grabbed the red toothbrush from a small glass onto the counter that contained two, presuming that one was hers. The other one was green, so she guessed that one had to belong to Seifer. She brushed her teeth thoroughly, rinsing her mouth from the toothpaste and shot one last glance to the mirror before exiting.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was sitting up on the double bed, checking out the screen of his laptop, typing from time to time. His clothes had been haphazardly thrown onto a chair, leaving him dressed in a pair of black boxers and a grey T-shirt. Hearing the slight creaking of the bathroom door, he turned his head and looked and Quistis walking inside, throwing her a smile.

- _"Hey. Had a good shower?" _he asked.

- _"Yeah… I felt I needed one…"_ Quistis replied, feeling a bit exposed in her attire.

            Seifer had turned his gaze back on the computer, as Quistis slowly walked over to him. And right then, she noticed something bizarre. Seifer was wearing **glasses**. A pair of thin-rimmed, sliver… Wait.

- _"Yes, yes… I know…" _Seifer spoke, as if reading her thoughts _"I'll go see Dr. Kadowaki and get my own glasses. I just needed yours for a bit."_

- _"I didn't say anything." _Quistis said, shrugging.__

- _"I **know** you were gonna." _Seifer replied, looking at her meaningfully, as she sat down next to him on the bed _"Bureaucracy just ain't my thing…" _he added, shaking his head in disbelief _"All this damned work has spoiled my precious eyes…" _he said in a mock-dramatic tone. __

Quistis rolled her eyes and rested her legs onto the bed. Seifer's gaze left the screen for a split second and traveled down her exposed legs. He turned and looked at her, pretending to be somewhat mad.

- _"That's just plain mean, you know." _he said, sounding serious _"Trying to tempt me while I'm working…" _he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

- _"I'm not-"_ Quistis began, grinning.__

- _"Don't argue with me, woman." _Seifer interrupted her, a tiny grin apparent on his lips.

            Quistis groaned and removed the towel from her hair, laying it down to her lap. She opened the first drawer on the nightstand. Hadn't she seen a brush in there the other day, while looking around? Ah, there it was. She began combing her hair straight, shooting side-ways glances on Seifer's laptop.

- _"What's that you're working on?" _she asked him.

- _"Laguna brought over some documents and receipts from the E-Garden they're building in Esthar. I'm just checking to see if everything's in order…" _Seifer replied, rubbing his chin _"And adding whatever I think is necessary."_

- _"Shouldn't you be doing that with Squall?" _ Quistis asked, wincing while disentangling a small knot in her hair.__

- _"We split it up in half." _Seifer said, typing.__

            Quistis smiled inwardly. Not in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Seifer to act so professional. Especially in a job like this. Just like he'd said before, bureaucracy wasn't suited for him. And from the looks of it, he was bored out of his mind doing this job. She could recall many a time when Squall had complained about how different he expected the Commander position to be. Now that the war was over, SeeDs weren't left with much 'action' in their hands, so paperwork had been his daily concern. It was dull enough for Squall; she couldn't imagine what it felt like for Seifer… 

            Combing the last strands of hair straight, Quistis wrapped the fallen hairs in the towel, resting it on the nightstand. She leaned a bit closer to Seifer's shoulder, checking out his work. A couple of minutes later, Seifer saved all changes in the documents and turned the laptop off, rubbing his sore temples. Leaving the computer to the side, he grinned at Quistis and lay down on the bed, resting his head on her stomach. Without realizing it, her fingers went automatically to his hair, gently stroking it.

- _"Tough day?" _she asked.

- _"Not tough… Just plain boring…" _replied Seifer, closing his eyes. He let out a small moan of pleasure and he felt Quistis's fingers rake his strands of hair _"Thank Hyne Ethan was there, or else I'd have to take it all out on 'Puberty-Boy' out of boredom…"_

- _"When will you stop calling him that?" _Quistis asked, grinning _"He's got a name you know…"_

- _"Yeah, but it's no fun that way…"_

- _"So… Did you catch up with Ethan?" _Quistis asked again.__

- _"Yup… He's doing very well in that law-firm he works for. And he's doing great with Ellone…" _Seifer replied, running his finger down one of Quistis's thighs.__

            The blonde shivered inwardly and hoped that Seifer wouldn't notice her blush. Dammit… Even at the slightest touch, she had to… Dammit…

- _"Wanna go get some lunch?" _Quistis asked.

- _"We're going out with everyone. We made reservations for…" _Seifer checked his watch _"__Two thirty__. So we still got about an hour."_

- _"Where are we going?"_

- _"The 'Kitchen Bar'." _Seifer replied _"Y'know, that nice seafood place."_

- _"OK…" _Quistis said, resting her head against the wall behind the bed.__

            She went on fiddling with Seifer's hair, as he stroked her leg gently, saying nothing. Quistis bit her bottom lip gently, before drawing out the courage to say what she was about to.

- _"Seifer?" _she said.

- _"Mmm?" _he hummed in response.__

- _"Do you… remember… that day when… you came for me, in G-Garden?" _she asked. Seifer raised his head up to look at her _"After you escaped from D-District prison?" _she added.__

- _"Of course I do. Why?" _he asked, puzzled.__

- _"Did you… Did you come after me because you just wanted to redeem yourself, or did you…have feelings for me?" _she asked.__

            Seifer smiled and sat up on his knees above her, stroking her cheek affectionately.

- _"A bit of both I guess…" _he replied, grinning _"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"_

- _"Ellone and I were talking a bit… Reminiscing… And I just happened to remember that…" _Quistis replied shrugging _"Umm… Anyway…" _she said, looking down _"It was… It was really sweet of you to offer at any rate…"_ she added, looking up to him, shyly.__

            Seifer chuckled and kissed her on the forehead.

- _"You're acting all weird these days, you know that?"_ he asked, cupping her face in his palms.

            Quistis simply shrugged and grinned back at him. Parting her lips to say something, she stopped, as she noticed Seifer's green eyes looking back at her. It all came back in mind then. They way he hugged her when he'd passed the SeeD test, his constant boyish taunts, the feel of his hands on her at the SeeD Ball, their childish fight in the Disciplinary room and the train, the feel of his lips on hers in that bar in Timber… And the urge to have that sensation fill her once more, pushed her to bring her hands on his and pull him towards her.  

            She gently pressed her lips on his, closing her eyes. As he reciprocated, heat filled her insides, polling up into her fluttering stomach and groin. It felt completely different from the one they'd shared in Timber, but Hyne… The sensation was even better… Her hungry lips craved for more, as she slid har arms around his neck and parted her lips wider for him. She felt his arms encasing her deeper, feeling warmth such as she'd never experienced. When they pulled away, Seifer ran his fingers through her damp locks and gave her a peck on the lips. Trying to compose herself again, Quistis sighed and spoke.

- _"Better start getting ready if we don't want to miss that dinner…"_

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"…And I'm **telling** you, that little wench won't come out of my hands alive is she keeps stalling with the screen I asked for the New Year's party!" _Selphie exclaimed, making everyone around the table burst into laughter.

- _"That's… my girl…" _said Irvine grinning, placing his hand on Selphie's shoulder, as she fed his a forkful of lobster.__

- _"So you're sticking around for New Year's as well, right?" _Selphie asked.__

- _"We'll see about that, Selphie." _Ellone replied _"Uncle Laguna has a lot of pressing business back in Esthar. And Ethan has a lot of work over at the law firm…"_

- _"Aw, c'mon!" _Rinoa piped in _"You should stay over. Selphie's parties are always the greatest…" _she commented, smiling at her friend, who beamed.__

- _"Let's just focus on Christmas for the time being, and then we can talk about New Year's." _Ethan said smiling, taking a sip of white whine.__

            Zell's eyes rested on Laguna, who had been struggling to hammer his crab open for the past ten minutes. A terrible feeling of upcoming trouble rushed through him as the older man, pouted his lips and frowned, grasping the hammer harder, bringing it down the shell with force. The shell refused to break open once again, and the small wooden hammer slipped out of Laguna's greased up palm and flew off. Zell gasped and opened his mouth to warn everyone, but it was too late. The hammer flew above a few heads, then conveniently landed hard upon the **one** head it shouldn't have.

- _"YEWOUCH!" _Squall yelled, causing every head in the restaurant to turn around towards their table.

            Laguna bit his bottom lip apologetically and cowered in his seat. Oh, he wasn't going to hear the end of it… Squall shot his father his very special 'death glare', rubbing his sore head, within suppressed chuckles and –in Seifer's case- loud snorts. 

- _"Sorry, Squall…" _Laguna whimpered.

            Squall gritted his teeth and was about to retort something pretty nasty, when he felt Rinoa gently squeeze his hand underneath the table. He didn't even have to turn around to look at her face; he knew that she'd be pleading him not to hurt Laguna's feelings. Sighing inwardly, he spoke.

- _"It's alright, Laguna." _was all he spat out, a tiny bit of sincerity apparent in his voice. 

            Laguna exhaled in relief audibly and smiled, as Rinoa handed him his hammer back. Seifer was still snorting, although somewhat less loudly, almost choking on his food. Quistis smacked him in the back of the head.

- _"Stop it!" _she hissed at him.

- _"Oh, c'mon! Don't tell me you don't feel like cracking a grin at this!" _Seifer whispered at her, swallowing his mouthful. Quistis simply rolled her eyes _"Y'know…" _Seifer began again, after a small pause, as the rest of the table indulged into a conversation about the upcoming Christmas party _"I forgot to tell you before, but I've been having this… 'weird' sensation all day at work…"_ Quistis raised an eyebrow.

- _"What do you mean?" _she asked.

- _"Dunno… It was as if… someone was… 'watching' me all day… Kinda freaky…" _said Seifer, shrugging **_'Oh that's right… When we went into Laguna's consciousness in the past, he'd mentioned having this weird feeling. He called it the 'faeries'…' _**Quistis thought.

- _"I'm sure it's nothing." _Quistis reassured him _"You're probably stressing yourself too much at work."_

- _"Probably…" _Seifer agreed shrugging.

- _"Just… make sure to get lots of rest now in the holidays." _Quistis added, running her finger on his palm.

- _"You worried about me?" _Seifer asked, smirking.

- _"You wish…" _Quistis replied, grinning, giving him a peck on the cheek, returning to her food.

                                                                                                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis paced back and forth in her room, hands tied behind her back. She almost jumped up to the ceiling when she heard the gentle knock on her door. Rushing to it, she was really glad to find Ellone standing on the other side.

- _"Did Seifer leave for the office?" _Ellone asked, whispering.

- _"Yeah, come on in." _Quistis replied eagerly, letting her friend in.

- _"Aren't the others suspecting anything yet?" _Ellone asked, walking over to the bed.

- _"Rinoa and Selphie asked me where I'd disappeared all morning," _Quistis began, following Ellone _"But I told them that I'm swamped with trying to find a good gift for Seifer's birthday. Thank Hyne I didn't get him anything yet. Selphie's swamped with the party, so she doesn't have free time either and Rinoa's helping her out a lot. I feel kind of guilty for not helping out, but…"_ Quistis trailed off, grinning.

- _"Alright then, want to get started?" _Ellone asked, sitting down on the bed.

- _"Yes, yes…"_ Quistis said, lying down on the bed again.

- _"Eager, aren't we?"_ she asked, grinning.

- _"Well you left me hanging! How can I not be?"_ Quistis replied.

- _"Alright, alright…" _Ellone said, closing her eyes _"Ready?"_

* * *

**A/N:** And once again, I'll say that the next chapter will be posted very soon. I ask for your patience :-)

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The chapter you're all waiting for…_

_Seifer rescues Quis from G-Garden._


	18. Chapter 17: Today's knights don't ride h...

**A/N:** Due to a rule of ffnet, I cannot post any comments about your reviews anymore guys, sorry. 

Either way, I'd like to take this chance to thank each and every one of you who have reviewed and read this story so far. You're truly giving me motivation to do as well as I can.

The last comment Seifer makes about cigarettes is 'borrowed' by the late and greatest stand-up comedian of all time, Bill Hicks (it's quoted exactly as said, hence the reference to Jesus, God and Claudia Schieffer…).

Many kudos go to my beta, squeakychris, for the title of this chapter and for a really tight spot out of which he helped me out, when I lost a good portion of stuff I'd written… And also, for bringing to my notice, the fact that I made a mistake in the previous chapter. A person in the FF8 world can feel the presence of the 'faeries' (when Ellone sends someone's conscience into another person's past) in his **past**, not in the future like I portrayed it. A mistake which I'm going back to correct in a few days.

And without further ado, the awaited chapter of pure Seiftisness ^_~****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ A small break from 'dreams' as Ellone brings Quistis back to reality for a little while._

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                      Chapter 17: Today's knights don't ride horses **

* * *

* * *

            A couple of Galbadia Garden students were sitting on a bench by the train station near their Garden, holding hands, talking. At exactly 1:30 past noon, a train came to a stop at that certain station. The door opened and the passengers began to disembark. Most of them were Galbadia Garden students, going back to their academy after a weekend away at their homes. Among them, the tall, towering figure of a young blond man stood out. Seifer stepped out of the train, looking around the landscape before him. Onto one of the benches next to him, a young girl sat, taking in long drags from a cigarette, admiring the view before her. Seifer sighed, yearning for a cigarette of his own at the time, but shook himself mentally. He pulled up the collar of his grey trench coat, looking around for any familiar faces. Luckily, he found none. He began walking down the stone steps, reaching the ground. He raised his chin and narrowed his eyes, watching Galbadia Garden in the distance. He took a deep breath **_'Time to get serious…' _**he thought, and began walking towards the red building.

            Once getting close, he sneaked towards the scarce flora, which in that case would happen to be a few trees and bushes, trying to camouflage himself. He sat down on the ground, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger, pondering on what his next move would be. He had to get in there without anyone noticing him… But how? He couldn't go through the gates unnoticed, unless… His emerald green eyes suddenly sparkled and a mischievous grin appeared broad on his face. He got himself ready mentally and stood on guard behind the bushes, waiting for someone to pass by. Many students came and went, but all of them where walking in groups or where too short for his size. After waiting for a fair twenty minutes, a lone student appeared, heading towards the Garden. Seifer vaguely recognized him as a passenger from the train. He examined him from head to toe **_'Looks pretty damn close to my size… Perfect.' _**Fortunately, there were no other people in the vicinity, so all Seifer had to do, was seize this golden opportunity **_'Looks like Lady Luck decided to be on my side today…' _**he thought grinning. 

            He waited for the right moment to come and when it did, he grabbed the kid by the collar and pulled him into the bushes. Within the blink of an eye, he hit the boy right on the curve of the shoulder, judo chop style, rendering him unconscious **_'Damn…' _**Seifer thought, rubbing the back of his hair **_'I thought that only worked in movies…'_** Without further ado, he grabbed the guy's legs and dragged him behind the bushes. He stripped him down to his underwear and followed suit in removing his own clothes. He wore the guy's uniform, which was an almost perfect fit. The pants were a bit too short, but when he lowered the waistline, they looked just fine. He then proceeded in emptying the back pack the boy was carrying and shoved his own clothes inside. He couldn't possibly leave his favorite attire behind… He threw the back pack on his shoulders and took a look at the boy lying unconscious on the ground before him.

- _"This just isn't you lucky day…" _he said smirking and walked out of his hiding place.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer adjusted his blue Galbadia Garden cadet uniform and ran a hand through his fair hair. He looked like a fucking goof to his eyes, but right now all that mattered was his mission **_'Ready or not, here I come, Instructor…' _**he thought. He began striding towards the biggest of the three Gardens, unable to help but feeling a small sting of anxiety at the pit of his stomach. Wearing his best 'casual' mask, he walked down the corridor and to the front gates of the building. He gave a nod to the man guarding them, who returned it, while thinking who the hell that kid was. Seifer soon entered the Main Hall of G-Garden and crossed his arms **_'OK Trepe…I'm here… Now where the hell are they hidin' ya?'_** he thought. It's not like he'd come across a huge label reading 'WE'RE KEEPING QUISTIS TREPE **HERE**' anywhere… 

            Thinking quickly, he remembered the one thing -among numerous others- he was damn proud of; his really good computer skills. He smirked and walked over to the Directory. He searched a bit and located the classrooms within the complex corridors of G-Garden. He walked over to the stairway and ascended, locating the classrooms on the second floor. He entered one he found empty and walked to the back rows. He rested the back pack he was carrying onto the bench and sat down. Cracking his knuckles, he switched the terminal before him on. Typing and clicking only in the thunder-like manner a hacker could do, he had soon infiltrated the mainframe of Garden. Meaning, he had access to **any** information he wanted… After a few minutes of searching, he was able to get hold of the surveillance camera units. He checked and saw that, right now, there was a camera watching him closely, so he had to hurry before anyone got to him. And as he guessed, the excuse of 'studying' wouldn't convince anyone… He searched around and managed to get hold of a 'map' of the surveillance network.

**                                                                                                                           3rd FLOOR**

                                                                                                                                    |

**_                                                                                                                   Headmaster's office_**

**                                                                                                                           2nd FLOOR**

                     _______________________________________________________|_______________________________________________________

            |                       |                       |                       |                       |                       |                        |                       |                       |                       |             |

**_            Closet 1    CLSRM #1     CLSRM #2      CLSRM #3    CLSRM #4       CLSRM #5    CLSRM #6       CLSRM #7    CLSRM #8     CLSRM#9    Closet 2_**

****

            **_'Closet?'_******Seifer though, raising an eyebrow. He clicked on the link of the camera unit at the first 'closet' and waited a few seconds for the image to appear. Nothing… Just a storage room for brooms and stuff. A closet, as the description put it. While scrolling down with the mouse to see the ASCII code for the 1st floor, he stopped. Wouldn't hurt to go look back in the second closet. He'd only waste a few seconds. He scrolled back up and clicked on the second closet link. His green eyes widened up in excitement as soon as the image was revealed **_'DAMN – FUCKIN' - BINGO!' _**he thought, trying hard not to yell from joy. 

            The camera was watching over a small, rather claustrophobic room, in which Quistis was being held. The room had a single bed and nightstand with a cabinet only. Quistis was lying onto the bed, dressed in a white… something… Seifer couldn't really make it out well through the distorted camera picture. She was either asleep or still unconscious. As Seifer switched the terminal off and rushed the bag onto his shoulders, he wished it was the first… 

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The tall blond walked down the 2nd floor corridor, heading towards the closet in which Quistis was held. As soon as he approached it though, he immediately turned back around and out of sight. That had been a close one… He'd almost been seen by the two soldiers guarding the room Quistis was in **_'Well, what did you expect you idiot?' _**he cursed at himself **_'A welcoming committee? Of COURSE she was going to be guarded.' _**Well, things had been convenient enough for him up to now; it was high time he did some serious thinking on his next step. But then again… Seifer was never one to think through things thoroughly… **_'Oh well… I'll just do this the old-fashioned way…' _**he thought after a while, and strode back towards the closet, hoping he hadn't just sentenced himself and Quistis to death…

            The two soldiers were discussing something, about which Seifer couldn't care less. When he was a few feet away from them, they noticed him and stopped talking, turning to look at him, preparing their weapons.

- _"What are ya doin' here, kid?" _asked one of them.

- _"This is a restricted area. Were you not informed about this?" _asked the other one.

- _"Oh yes, I know…" _said Seifer grinning goofily, doing his best to pass as a harmless, clueless idiot, while trying to think of an excuse quickly _"I was sent here by Headmaster's orders. I'm the resident physician's aid and I came to check upon Miss Trepe." _he said.

            Anxiety ate his insides, as he waited for the two soldiers' reactions. By the suspicious looks they were giving him right now, they didn't seem to be buying it, but didn't look overly suspicious either. The two men loosened the grasp of their weapons and looked at each other intently. 

- _"Step back for a sec." _said one of them, turning his back at him, beginning to converse with the other.

            Seifer did as he was told and slightly bit his bottom lip as he watched the soldiers whisper to each other.

- _"He doesn't look harmful…" _said the first one.

- _"I dunno… We shouldn't just let him in…" _said the other.

- _"He **did** know her name though. And that's supposed to be classified information. How could he have known it if he really isn't sent by the doc?" _asked the first one.

- _"I know, but we still should be careful. We don't wanna risk anything…" _said the other.

- _"Right."_

            They both turned back around and faced Seifer, who took a step forward again.

- _"Let me see some proof that you're sent by the doctor, kid." _said one of them.

- _"Oh right… Wait for a second…"_ said Seifer, opening his back-pack, pretending to look for the supposed 'proof'.

            **_'OK. Alright… Calm down… If you panic they'll be able to tell in a matter of seconds…' _**he thought **_'Dammit… If I try to take them out I'll have to move fast afterwards. The camera will capture me the moment I step inside. *Sigh* Brace yourself… Here goes…'_**

- _"Here it is!" _exclaimed Seifer, pretending to have found what he was supposedly looking for.

****

****

The two men crossed their arms and waited eagerly_, _as Seifer still kept his hand dug inside the back pack. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the bag from one strap and swung it across the soldiers' faces, hitting both of them square on the head. Without any hesitation, he drew his Hyperion from his belt and hit both men hard on the head with the handle. Within seconds, they were both lying on the floor, knocked out. Whispering a small prayer to Hyne to help him out of this, he rushed inside the room.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer barged inside the small closet, breathing fast. His eyes immediately fell upon his blonde Instructor, lying on the bed. Her hair was loose and spread all over the pillow, while Seifer noticed that she was wearing a white infirmary robe. Not wasting a second, he rushed over to her and shook her.

- _"Quistis?! Wake up!" _he whispered.

            She didn't stir. She was obviously still unconscious. Cursing, Seifer looked around for her things. He swiftly opened the only storage space inside the room, the cabinet of the nightstand. Inside, lay Quistis's clothes and boots, but her weapon was missing. Deciding not to waste any time looking for it, he grabbed her garments and stuffed them into his bag. He suspended Hyperion from his belt and bent over to the bed. He slipped his hands underneath Quistis's knee pits and back, raising her onto his arms. Quistis suddenly moved about slightly and opened her eyes with difficulty. She looked at Seifer puzzled and barely parted her lips to speak. 

- _"S-S-Seifer…?! What-" _she began feebly.

- _"Shh… I'm gonna get you out of here, OK?" _he whispered back tenderly.

            Quistis simply nodded and closed her eyes, scooting closer to him **_'Oh just fucking great you moron! You thought of everything EXCEPT for how the fuck you're gonna get out of the Garden, carrying the woman they're supposed to hold captive, in your arms!' _**he thought.

- _"Quistis?" _he whispered. The blonde woman opened up her azure eyes again _"Hold on to __me.__" _he added.

            Quistis weakly wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to release one arm and grab his gunblade with it. Deciding he'd wasted a **lot** of time and that the Galbadians were probably already on his trail, he rushed out of the room.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer ran down the corridor, as fast as he could. Carrying a full-grown woman in his arms, a bag on his shoulders and a damn heavy gunblade wasn't exactly allowing him to run like the wind… No sooner had he reached the stairway, than he came across a group of five soldiers, right on his trail. Seifer cursed under his breath and turned his gunblade upon them.

- _"Stay the fuck back!" _he yelled, making them all stop in their tracks.

            He quickly turned back around and hurried down the stairways, knocking aside a couple of utterly puzzled students he came across. He felt Quistis try and hold tighter on to him. Without realizing it, his own grasp became tighter as well and he began running faster. The soldiers were bound to call for back-up and he'd soon be outnumbered. He had to think of something… fast! His steps brought him to the Main Hall, where many students and Garden staff turned their heads at the bizarre sight. Suddenly, he heard yells from the balcony right above him. A swarm of blue-uniformed soldiers had barged up there.

- _"THERE HE IS!" _yelled one of them _"GET HIM!"_

            Upon hearing those words, every single person on the Hall, including some soldiers who had just rushed downstairs, advanced on Seifer. The blond pulled out his gunblade again, pointing it at anyone who came his way. This might save him a bit of time, but he was more than certain that **outside**, the sight wasn't going to be pretty… 

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer and Quistis made it to the Front Gate intact, but out there, they were confronted by a Squad of soldiers. Seifer immediately ceased running and came to a halt on his tracks. He just stood there, staring at the soldiers, thunderstruck. Quistis slowly turned her head around and looked at the swarm of Galbadians ready to arrest them.

- _"End of the road kid! Put the girl down, drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!" _shouted a soldier through a megaphone. 

            Quistis turned back and looked at Seifer straight in the eyes. Seifer looked back at her, reading sorrow and despair all over her face.

- _"It's over, Seifer…" _she whispered faintly, holding him tighter, nuzzling her head in his chest.

            Seifer narrowed his eyes and frowned. His worried gaze made a swift check around him, stopping to his right.

- _"The hell it is." _he said firmly and raised his Hyperion at the soldiers, breaking into a run once again.

            He took a couple of shots for cover, as he ran towards the G-Garden bikes parked right outside. He swiftly climbed onto one, settling Quistis right in front of him. With one hand, he twisted the gas of the bike, making the engine roar and with the other pointed his gunblade over to the crowd of soldiers.

- _"Hold __me.__" _he said to Quistis, as he twisted the gas once more, releasing the brakes.

            The motorcycle sped off, heading right to the middle of the Squad of Galbadians. Seifer took another couple of shots, clearing the space in front of them, as soldiers ducked to avoid the shots or dived away to get out of the bike's route. The blond pair rushed among the Squad within seconds. Seifer turned around momentarily, taking his last two shots towards the Galbadians, stopping them from following the motorcycle. Quistis was holding on to Seifer as tight as she could, her chin resting on his shoulder, as she watched the G-Garden fade away in the distance…

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The two-wheeled vehicle was running wildly, slashing the air in front of it. The Galbadians had probably lost Seifer and Quistis by now, but they couldn't be sure, so Seifer kept speeding away. It had been over five minutes they'd escaped from G-Garden and they still hadn't exchanged a single word. Finally, Seifer broke the silence.

- _"Are you alright?" _he asked Quistis.

- _"I still feel very weak, but yes. I'm OK…" _she replied.

- _"I hate to break this to you, but we're almost out of fuel. We need to find a place to hide." _he said.

- _"Maybe a forest…" _Quistis suggested weakly.

- _"Yes, probably… We're somewhere in between G-Garden and Timber, so we should encounter one sooner or later…" _said Seifer.

- _"Alright…" _mumbled Quistis.

            Seifer looked down at her and saw that the thin infirmary robe she was wearing was hardly keeping her warm. In fact, she was shivering. Hesitating a bit, he held her closer to him with one arm, rubbing her exposed back with his hand in warmth. Quistis closed her eyes and buried her head in his arms, holding him tightly from the waist, not saying a word.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            By the time the pair reached a forest, it was already afternoon and the sun had long ago set. Within less than two hours, it would be starting to get dark and a forest would surely not be a safe place to spend the night. But for the time being, they needed to hide. Seifer drove the bike among the tall trees and made his way along a narrow path. He stopped when they reached a secluded spot, right next to a small pond. Seifer turned the engine off and dismounted the bike, holding Quistis's back with one arm, so that she wouldn't fall off. He picked her up in his arms once again and settled her onto the grass, resting her back on a tree trunk.

            Quistis brought her knees close to her chest, hugging them with her arms, trying to get warm. Seifer took off his back pack and zipped it open. He retrieved his long trench coat from inside and covered Quistis with it.

- _"Should keep you warm…" _he mumbled, not looking at her in the eyes.

- _"Thanks," _muttered Quistis _"For everything…" _she added, looking at him.

- _"Just… don't think about it…" _Seifer said shrugging, still avoiding her gaze.

            Quistis pulled the trench coat up to her chin, curling up into a ball underneath it. She closed her eyes and rested her head back on the tree trunk, sighing heavily. She opened them back up and saw Seifer on his knees, right in front of her, looking at her.

- _"Still cold?" _he asked.

- _"No, I'm OK now…" _she replied.

- _"By the way, I managed to get your clothes. But I couldn't find your whip." _he said.

- _"Dammit…" _said Quistis, lowering her head _"I loved that Red Scorpion model… *Sigh* Thanks for getting my clothes anyway…"_

            Seifer simply nodded and looked down at his feet. They both remained silent for a while.

- _"What… happened to you?" _Quistis eventually said, looking at Seifer's face.

            The blond had a faint bruise on his right eye, his left cheekbone was adorned by a deep cut and his bottom lip was wounded as well. Not to mention his hair and clothes, who looked beyond plain messy.

- _"Long story…" _replied Seifer _"I'll fill you in on it when we're safe."_

- _"Alright…" _Quistis replied. She paused for a bit, then spoke again _"I suppose we can't spend the night here… It's too dangerous…" _

- _"No, I suppose not… We'll have to find a way out of here…" _said Seifer, falling deep in thought. 

- _"The only place we can go from here is Timber." _Quistis said _"But we can't possibly get there on foot. There's no fuel left in the bike, is there?"_ she asked. Seifer shook his head in response.

- _"I guess," _he said after a bit, his eyes glistening _"We could always take the train there…"_

- _"Do you carry any Gil? I sure don't…" _she said.

- _"Who said anything about **paying**?" _Seifer asked grinning, looking at Quistis.

- _"We can't do that…" _

- _"Why not?"_

- _"Because it's illegal!" _said Quistis.

- _"Look at our situation!" _said Seifer exasperated _"What are we going to do? **Die** here?!"_

- _"I suppose not…" _mumbled Quistis, accepting defeat.

            Awkward silence for a second time.

- _"By the way," _said Quistis, once again breaking the ice _"I didn't know you could ride a bike…" _she added, grinning.

- _"There's a lot about me you don't know…" _Seifer said, winking at her.

            Quistis just scoffed and rolled her eyes at Seifer's comment. At some point, Seifer noticed her licking her lips.

- _"What's wrong?" _he asked, raising an eyebrow.

- _"I'm thirsty…" _she said, making an attempt to get up.

            Before she got the chance to, Seifer slid his hands under her and picked her up in his arms for the third time that day. He walked towards the pond and settled her down by the edge. He bent down and cupped some water in his palms, offering it to Quistis. Quistis looked at him, smiling at her and felt her stomach flutter. Hesitantly, she flashed him a shy smile and barely touched his cupped palms, drinking the water in one huge gulp. Seifer grinned and repeated the process. After five handfuls of water, Quistis's thirst was finally quenched. With his still damp palms, Seifer wet her face, making her flinch to his touch.

- _"Relax…I won't bite…" _he said, chuckling a bit _"Hard." _he added, winking at her.

            Quistis couldn't help but slightly giggle at that. She watched Seifer gently wipe her face with one sleeve of his blue uniform. She looked at him as their eyes locked, making her cheeks flush slightly. Seifer went on wiping her cheeks and forehead dry. He was looking at her with an expression of genuine concern and for the first time, Quistis noticed exactly how startlingly green his eyes were. 

- _"Why did you go on and do such a stupid thing?"_ he asked softly at some point.

- _"What stupid thing?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Y'know… Rushing in front of me, when that woman tried to…" _Seifer trailed off.

- _"Well, why did **you** come and rescue me all by yourself today?" _she asked back, trying to avoid his question.

- _"I asked you first…" _he said, wiping the last hint of moisture from her right cheek.

- _"I… I just," _Quistis stuttered, as Seifer traced her cheek with his thumb _"Didn't… want to… see… one of my students… get hurt…"_

            Seifer retreated his hand.

- _"One of your students…" _he repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

- _"Well… yes. I always want to take care of my students… Even if I'm not teaching them anymore…" _she said, trying hard not to blush.

- _"Right…" _said Seifer lowering his head _"Right."_

            He moved a bit away from her and bent over the pond again, cupping some water, throwing it on his face. Getting up to his feet, he wiped his face with the white tank top he wore underneath. 

- _"Better start moving along… If we want to catch that train…" _Seifer said, walking over to his back pack, zipping it shut.

- _"Right…" _said Quistis nodding. 

            She slid her arms through the sleeves of the grey trench coat and tried to get up. She had barely taken a step forward, when she felt her legs incredibly weak and tripped over. With one swift step ahead, Seifer caught her in his arms and helped her up. Quistis met his cold gaze and quickly looked away, feeling her skin burn wherever he was touching her. 

- _"I assume you can't walk…" _Seifer said.

- _"No, it's OK, I-" _she began.

- _"Can it, Instructor." _spat Seifer, making the blood in her veins begin to warm dangerously.

            She was about to speak back at him, when he bent over and with one quick move, he plopped her up on his right shoulder, holding her legs tightly with one hand. He immediately began walking out of the forest and back to the plains. 

- _"Seifer, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Put me down this instant!" _protested Quistis.

- _"Why? So you can trip on every second step? This'll save us a **lot** of time…" _Seifer said.

- _"You can't carry me all the way to the train stop!" _she insisted.

- _"I can and I will. Now shut up Trepe, before I 'accidentally' drop you, head first."_ he threatened.

            Quistis groaned loudly and rested her chin on her balled fist, watching the forest move farther away with each passing second…

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            It wasn't long before the pair of blondes heard the distant whistling of a train coming. There was no chance of taking the wrong one, as the only train passing that way, went straight to Timber. Seifer halted when they reached the train stop, walking over to some bushes nearby. He kneeled down, hiding among them, letting Quistis down on the ground at last. 

- _"We'll just wait here. The train will stop and when they see no passengers coming aboard, they'll take off again. Then, we get on." _he said.

- _"Alright…" _Quistis nodded, raising the collar of the trench coat, hiding her chin and nose underneath the neckline.

- _"What's the matter?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Nothing… I just feel… a bit… chilly…" _she mumbled.

- _"Hang on… We'll be much warmer any minute now…" _he said.

            After about five minutes, the train finally arrived. As expected, it came to a stop, waiting for any passengers to come aboard. When no-one did, the conductor gave the signal for it to start moving again.

- _"Now's our chance… Come on."_ said Seifer, plopping Quistis onto his shoulder again.

            The train had barely started accelerating, so it was easy for Seifer, even with Quistis's weight upon him, to jump up to the ledge on the last carriage. He let Quistis back down to her feet and tried to budge the door open. He twisted the round wheel with all his might, letting out a grunt. Eventually, he made it and the door opened. He helped Quistis inside and closed the door behind them. 

            Naturally, the last carriage of the train was the one used for storage, so no passengers were on it. It wasn't exactly what one would call warm, but it definitely beat being outside. Seifer rested Quistis down on the floor, among some storage crates. Quistis curled up into a corner, shivering.

- _"Still cold?" _Seifer asked in concern. Quistis nodded _"Well of course you are. You're wearing a damn infirmary robe underneath…"_

- _"Can you give me my clothes?" _she asked, teeth clicking from the cold.__

- _"And do you think that little skirt and vest of yours will keep you warm?" _he asked, raising an eyebrow. Quistis sighed _"Wait," _Seifer added, zipping the back pack open _"I'll wear my clothes and you can wear this uniform and my coat. You'll be fine then…" _

            Quistis watched Seifer take out his clothes from the bag and get up. He twirled his finger, motioning her to turn around.

- _"No peeking over my voluptuous body now, OK?" _he asked, grinning, starting to unbutton his shirt.

            Quistis chuckled and turned around. She heard the sound of clothes hitting the floor and biting her bottom lip, slowly turned her head around. Seifer had turned his back as well and was now in the process of removing his pants. Quistis raised an eyebrow, seeing him for the first time dressed in nothing but a pair of black boxers. She couldn't miss the elegant tattoo of the red Fire Cross, adorning his left shoulder blade… She smiled slightly at the inviting sight of a **very** well-built, half naked man before her, but blushed a bit and turned around before he caught her staring at his ass…

            After a couple of minutes, Seifer was dressed in his usual attire, minus the trench coat.

- _"OK, you can turn around now…" _he said, zipping his vest shut.

            Quistis did so and Seifer tossed her the blue Galbadian uniform he'd been wearing up to now. Quistis repeated the same twirling move he'd done before with her finger, making him smirk and turn around, crossing his arms behind his back. The blond woman slowly stood up and removed the trench coat first. She began taking off the white robe she'd been wearing and let it fall on the floor. 

            Seifer raised an eyebrow and cautiously turned his head around. He caught glimpse of a bare back, with a pair of shoulder blades protruding from porcelain-like skin. His eyes traveled further down and he soon got a clear image of his former Instructor, dressed in nothing but a pair of pearly white underwear. He grinned mischievously as she bent over, pulling the blue pants up. She then proceeded in slipping her slender arms through the sleeves of the shirt. She pulled it up, slowly covering her, up to now, exposed back and then began buttoning the shirt. Seifer turned his head back around just in time. Quistis retrieved the grey trench coat from the crate she'd rested it upon and threw it on her shoulders. 

- _"All done." _she said softly.

            Seifer turned to look at her. He grinned; aside from the trench coat which covered her from head to toe, the sleeves of the shirt were dangling from her arms almost half empty, her breasts could barely be noticed jutting underneath the baggy –on her- shirt and the pants were literally sweeping the floor. Quistis immediately realized what his grin was all about and reciprocated with one of her own, swinging the half-empty sleeves around. She sat down on the floor and Seifer approached her, getting a seat next to her. He ran a hand through his blond hair, exhaling audibly.

- _"What's wrong?" _ Quistis asked.

- _"Nothing…" _said Seifer _"It's just that… I haven't had a cigarette in **ages**…"_ Quistis rolled her eyes.

- _"It's for the best. It's bad for your health anyway." _she said matter-of-factly.

- _"Health, schmealth… All I know is that every fuckin' cigarette I see on someone's lips seems divine." _Seifer replied. Quistis cocked an eyebrow _"No, seriously, every damn one of them looks reeeeal good to me right now. Every cigarette looks like it was made by God, rolled by Jesus and moistened shut with Claudia Schieffer's pus-"_

- _"**DON'T **say it…" _Quistis threatened.

- _"You get the idea…" _

            Quistis shook her head in disbelief and sighed.

- _"What about you? Feeling better now?" _Seifer asked.

- _"I'm not cold anymore. In fact, I feel really hot… And **really** dizzy…" _Quistis replied, burying her head in her knees.

- _"Hot?" _asked Seifer, raising an eyebrow _"Lemme touch you forehead." _he said, moving closer to her.

            Quistis raised her head back up, allowing Seifer's palm to touch her forehead. She closed her eyes, feeling them sting. Seifer drew his hand back.

- _"I think you've got a fever…" _he said worriedly _"But I can't tell with the palm…"_

            Before Quistis could react, Seifer moved his head close to hers and touched her forehead with his lips. She tried hard not to flinch and she hoped he'd interpret her furious blush as a symptom of the fever… Seifer drew back after a couple of seconds.

- _"Yep. Fever all right…" _he said nodding _"Maybe you should get some sleep." _he suggested.

- _"I intend to…" _she replied, closing her eyes.

            Seifer offered her the bag as a pillow, earning a smile from her, as she lay down on the floor, covering herself with the trench coat. Within seconds, she was fast asleep…

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            The train was reaching Timber in less than ten minutes. Seifer got up and opened the back door of the carriage, noticing that they were drawing close. He closed it shut and walked over to Quistis, who had still to wake up. She nudged her softly on the arm, trying to wake her up.

- _"Hey, Quistis? Come on, get up. We have to get off the train." _he said.

            Quistis slid her eyes open for a second, then closed them again.

- _"I feel terrible…"_ she mumbled.

- _"Why? What's wrong?" _he asked.

- _"I feel dizzier than ever…" _she said, in a voice barely audible.

            Seifer frowned and leaned in to touch her forehead with his lips again. 

- _"Holy shit, you're **burning**!" _he said in concern, once pulling away.

            Quistis didn't reply, just let out a whimper-like sound. She felt Seifer's arms slide under her body yet again, picking her up.

- _"We'll have to walk for a couple of minutes to Timber. I'll get off as close as I can, OK?" _she heard Seifer whisper to her.

- _"OK…" _she mumbled, slightly nodding.

            Seifer opened the door and walked out to the ledge. Quistis felt a shiver run under her skin again, as the cold air outside rushed its way underneath her clothes. It was a natural fact that the temperature dropped dramatically when the night approached… Quistis held Seifer from the neck and braced herself as he told her he'd be jumping off. She felt her stomach upturn and then rumble, as Seifer landed on the ground, tripping and falling to his knees, never dropping her though. Seifer got up and began walking towards the city, now clearly visible from afar. It was less than six hundred feet away, so they'd be there in no time, as Seifer informed her. He kept on talking to her, but the sound of his voice soon became muffled, until she could hear nothing at all…

- _"…I thought we could call Garden and ask for some tickets paid in advance for the train so-" _Seifer said, but soon stopped when he saw Quistis wasn't reacting at all _"Quistis?" _he asked, shaking her a bit. She didn't stir. He couldn't even tell if she was breathing… _"SHIT!" _he cursed and broke into a run.

* * *

**A/N:** Dammit, this fic ruins all my possibilities of creating a nice ol' cliff-hanger… Y'all know that Quistis will live so… meh…

And no, the idea of measuring someone's temperature with the lips is **not** an idea of mine for another Seiftis moment, but a true fact (works better than when you use your palm).

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Another 100% Seiftis chapter…_

_But I'm not tellin' ya anything about it…_


	19. Chapter 18: Iris and Jenna

**A/N:** Hey everyone… 

I'm still trying to work out the whole not-allowed-to-respond-to-reviews thingy… I've been punished for disobeying a rule before, so it might be stricter this time; that's why I'm so picky about it.

Anyway, you're all free to e-mail me in case you have any questions about the story.

Vincent and Tidus appear courtesy of FF7 and FFX respectively :-p No need to say this, but I don't own those games either…

What I **do** own, is Iris and Jenna, the names I gave to two already existent but anonymous FF8 characters.

Enjoy!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer rescues Quistis from G-Garden and they temporarily hide in a forest. The night approaches however and they need a new hide place. They sneak aboard the train to Timber and head towards the city, when Quistis begins to feel weak and collapses… _

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                         Chapter 18: Iris and Jenna**

* * *

* * *

            A raven-haired girl with her hair cut in a short bob, was looking outside the window. She was keeping company to her mother in the kitchen while she cooked, but they'd ran out of things to discuss at some point, so the young girl was now sitting on the window ledge, day-dreaming. A knock on the door made her snap back to reality.

- _"Could you get that, dear?" _her mother asked.

- _"Sure…" _said the girl getting up, walking over to the door.

            She pulled the handle open and was surprised to come face-to-face with a tall blond man, carrying a woman in his arms. Not bothering to ask if he could come in, Seifer barged inside the room.

- _"I'm really sorry to come in like this, but-" _he began.

- _"I remember you…" _said the woman who was cooking, now turning her head to look at her unexpected visitors _"You came here about a few days ago with Rinoa and some other people…" _she said.

- _"Yes. And I **really** need your help right now… again." _he said, with a pleading look on his face.

            The young girl closed the door and approached him.

- _"What's wrong with her?" _she asked, referring to Quistis. Her mother turned off the stove, abandoning her cooking and came forward as well.

- _"She was under Galbadian arrest. She was recently hit by a spell we couldn't recognize and she's been really weak. She was in her senses a while ago, but she raised a fever and went back unconscious…" _Seifer explained quickly.

- _"Was she the girl you brought when you were here the last time?" _asked the mother.

- _"Yes. Can you help her? Please?" _pleaded Seifer, probably the first time in his life he ever did that. And probably the last.

- _"Of course we will!" _said the mother, sounding offended that he even dared to ask _"Come on, let's take her upstairs…" _she said, hurrying up the stairway.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Two little boys were sitting in a bedroom upstairs, looking down at the alley from their window. The door barged open and inside came their mother, their older sister and a man, vaguely familiar, carrying a girl. The two boys jolted up in surprise and looked at their mother with the most persuasive innocent expressions they could muster.

- _"We didn't do anything!" _one of them protested, before their mother even had a chance to say anything.

- _"Vincent, Tidus go downstairs. We have to let a girl rest here."_ said their mother.

- _"What's wrong with her?" _asked one of them, approaching Seifer.

- _"She's pretty…" _said the other one, eyeing Quistis.

- _"I said downstairs!" _roared their mother, making them abide by her orders with huge frowns on their faces.

            The two boys closed the door shut behind them, leaving the two women, Seifer and Quistis, alone.

- _"Hurry up, lay her on the bed…" _said the girl.

            Seifer didn't need to be told twice and immediately laid Quistis on the bed, caressing her burning forehead.

- _"Are you her boyfriend?" _the mother asked, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Yeah…" _Seifer replied without even thinking. He reckoned it would make things much less complicated.

- _"Take her coat off…" _said the woman _"By the way," _she said, while Seifer did so _"My name is Iris and this is my daughter Jenna."_

- _"I'm Seifer." _replied the blond, forcing a smile out _"And that's Quistis." _he added.

- _"Alright Seifer," _said Iris, walking over to Quistis's side _"Let's take a look at her…"_

            Iris touched Quistis's forehead and immediately flinched.

- _"Great Hyne, she's burning in fever!" _she exclaimed.

- _"I know…" _mumbled Seifer worriedly.

- _"Jenna, go get me a small tank of water, some clean towels, some vinegar and a couple of Potions and Remedies." _Iris ordered her daughter.

- _"In a sec…" _said Jenna, rushing out of the room.

- _"Thank Hyne you brought her quickly… I think we'll be able to help her…" _said Iris, taking Quistis's boots off.

- _"I hope so…" _said Seifer _"Anything I can do to help?" _he asked eagerly.

- _"Yes, you can help me undress her." _said Iris.

            Seifer's eyes shot wide open at that last sentence. Luckily, Iris had already begun to unbuckle Quistis's pants and, having her back turned to him, didn't notice his reaction. Iris kept mumbling something about how she shouldn't be wearing any clothes to avoid getting sweaty and another bunch of things that never reached Seifer's ears. He was too stunned to hear or say anything.

- _"Well hurry up!" _said Iris exasperated _"What are you standing there for?!"_

- _"C-c-coming…" _stuttered Seifer, approaching her.

            He hesitantly held Quistis from the armpits, raising her body, so that Iris could remove the pants. 

- _"Take her shirt and underwear off. I'll go help Jenna carry all those things…" _said Iris getting up and leaving the room.

            Seifer was still holding Quistis up when Iris left the room. He sighed deeply and softly laid her down back on the bed. He took a look at her. She looked so peaceful right now, with her eyes closed and her full lips slightly parted, her long blonde waterfall of hair hanging loose. Swallowing hard, he began unbuttoning her shirt **_'Come on, you pussy!' _**he thought **_'It's not like you've never seen a naked woman before!' _**He'd seen one too many actually, but the situation was **way** different now. Besides… This was Quistis we were talking about! His previous Instructor, for Hyne's sake! 

            Realizing that time was too precious to be spent in pointless thoughts, he undid her shirt. With trembling fingers, he parted it open, revealing Quistis's bare chest.

- _"Oh Hyne…" _mumbled Seifer looking away.

            Not for long though… Within seconds, his gaze was upon her body again **_'Dammit… I was hoping that her body would at least be covered in fuckin' boils or something… But she just HAD to have a smooth skin, didn't she?!' _**he thought, breathing fast. He felt like a complete pervert right now to even think about her that way. However, he couldn't help but feel the temperature of the room rising abnormally high all of a sudden and his pants beginning to feel tight **_'AAARGH! You're gonna burn in Hell for that, Almasy!' _**he thought. Trying –and failing- to look away, he removed the shirt off her body completely. 

            And now for the even harder part; her underwear. Letting out a huge sigh, he moved his fingers to the white pair of panties she had now left on her body. With even shakier hands than before, he slid it down and pulled it off her body. 

- _"Holy shit…" _he said in a whimpery voice.   

            He looked away and began taking deep breaths, fanning himself with his palms. Taking one last look at her, he quickly reached for the covers underneath her, pulling them out and covering her. He sighed in relief that his 'torture' was over and wiped his sweaty forehead with one palm. Right on cue, Iris and Jenna came inside, carrying all the things Iris had requested before. 

            Seifer stepped aside as Iris rushed to Quistis's side and rested all the things on the nightstand. She opened the bottle of vinegar and poured most of it into the tank of water. She dipped a towel in it, wringed it damp and rested it on Quistis's forehead.

- _"Seifer?" _said Iris, turning over to him.

- _"Yes?" _Seifer said eagerly.

- _"Can you come and hold the compress? I'll use some healing items on Quistis." _replied Iris, getting up.

- _"Of course." _said Seifer and sat by Quistis's side on the bed, slightly pressing the cool compress, while holding Quistis's hand.

- _"Mom, I think you should use a Remedy first…"_ suggested Jenna.

- _"That's what I was planning to do."_ said Iris, picking up a small blue bottle from the nightstand.

- _"What spell was she hit by?" _Jenna asked Seifer.

- _"We couldn't tell… The woman who did it to her is a powerful sorceress…" _replied Seifer _"Sorceress Edea…" _The two women gasped.

- _"But she **has** regained consciousness, right?"_ asked Iris, opening the Remedy bottle.

- _"Yes, she was much better before. But she was weak and the cold outside affected her easily." _said Seifer.

- _"I see… Pull her head up." _Iris said.

            Seifer gently held Quistis's head from the back and pressed the sides of her lips with his fingers, making them part wide enough for her to drink the Remedy. Iris put the blue bottle on Quistis's lips and began pouring the liquid down slowly. Quistis seemed to react and swallow the healing item. When the bottle was empty, Seifer gently laid her head back onto the pillow.

- _"Alright… This should take effect soon enough… It'll drop the fever, but she'll still be weak. We'll give her another one when she wakes up and then a few Potions." _said Iris.

- _"Hyne… Iris, Jenna…" _said Seifer rubbing his sore forehead _"I can't thank you enough."_

- _"Think nothing of it." _said Jenna smiling _"Now why don't you let her rest and go get some sleep?"_

- _"Jenna's right. You look like you need it." _said Iris.

- _"No way." _said Seifer shaking his head _"I'm staying here."_

- _"Seifer, you **need** to sleep. You won't be of much help to her if you collapse!" _said Iris.

- _"I'll be fine." _said Seifer _"I might get some rest when her fever drops."_

- _"Suit yourself…" _said Jenna _"We'll be right in the next room if you need us. Just call." _

- _"Thank you." _said Seifer smiling.

            The door closed behind them, leaving Seifer and Quistis alone once again. Seifer looked at Quistis worriedly and changed the compress which had become warm on her head. The room now had a strong smell of vinegar in it, mixed with the scent of the Remedy used just before. Seifer rested the newly damp and cool compress on Quistis's forehead and ran a hand through her hair. He sighed deeply and encased her left hand inside both his own.

            He stood by her side for hours. When Iris and Jenna came to check upon her before going to sleep, Iris noted that her fever had dropped considerably. Once again, she insisted that Seifer went to get some rest, even if it was for a couple of hours only, but yet again, he refused. He just remained there, sitting on a chair by the bed, taking care of her. It was drawing close to six in the morning, when his strength abandoned him and he found himself falling asleep on the chair by her side…

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                                    _That was **completely **uncalled for!!!_

_                                                                                                What was?_

_                                                                                                                                    He… He saw me…_

_                                                **That** is your problem right now?!_

_                                                                                                Well… YES!_

_                                                                                                                        Honestly, if I had **any** idea you were going to be like this, I wouldn't have agreed to do it…_

_                                                            Be like what?!_

_            You're concentrating on the wrong events! Look at him… He stayed up all night looking after you…_

_                                                                                                            Oh, yes… How **sweet** of him…_

_                                                                        Sarcasm isn't gonna do you any good, Quisty…_

_                                                                                                                                    Let's just keep watching…_

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis felt the morning sun rays fall bright on her face, making her awaken. She slowly fluttered her eyelids open and tried to focus her blurry vision. She found herself in a room she didn't recognize. She looked around curiously and tried to stand on her elbows. She still was somewhat dizzy, but her fever had dropped completely and she was feeling much better. Wondering where she was, she felt another hand upon hers.

            She looked down at the bedside and found Seifer asleep on her lap, with one hand on her thigh and the other placed upon hers. Quistis smiled weakly **_'He stayed next to_** **_me…?'_** she wondered **_'...all night?'_** She looked at his face; his always somewhat strict features were now mild and relaxed and for the first time in her life, Quistis then realized that even **he** could look harmless, when sleeping like that; like a baby. She ran her fingers through his blond spikes of hair, making him flinch.

            Seifer took a sharp intake of breath and immediately opened his eyes, turning to look if Quistis was alright. As soon as he saw her awake, a broad, warm smile appeared on his seemingly tortured face; his eyes were bloodshot and had huge blue circles underneath them, he was in serious need of shaving –not to mention a shower- and his hair was totally messed up. The wounds on his face were another story…

- _"Quistis!"_ he exclaimed in a hoarse voice upon seeing her up _"How are you feeling?"_ he asked, gently squeezing her hand. 

- _"Much better. I don't think I've got a fever anymore…"_ she replied smiling _"Where are we?"_

- _"In Timber. When we came here with the others, the woman who lives here helped us because she knew Rinoa. She was the only one I knew in town and I brought you over to let you rest."_ he replied.

- _"When did you come here? What others?"_ asked Quistis bemused.

- _"Long story… We've got a **lot** to catch upon when you recover."_ he said.

- _"What time is it?"_ Quistis asked, rubbing the back of her hair lazily.

- _"Uhh…"_ said Seifer glancing at his watch _"Almost __seven thirty__."_

- _"*Pause* Did you… stay here? All night?"_ she asked looking at him.

- _"Nah… I just came about two hours ago. I woke up very early and came to check on you, but I fell asleep again…"_ lied Seifer, shrugging, trying hard not to blush.

- _"Oh…"_ said Quistis, not being able to help but feel slightly disappointed _"Umm… Where is this woman? I want to thank her."_ she asked.

- _"Stay here, I'll go get her."_ said Seifer getting up, leaving the room.

            Quistis sighed and covered herself up to the chin. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd have felt a lot better if she knew Seifer had watched over her during the night… **_'Stop thinking so damn selfishly!' _**her conscience shouted back at her. A couple of minutes later, a plump, raven-haired woman appeared through the door, smiling at Quistis. She approached her and sat down on the chair by the bed.

- _"Hello, Quistis. How are you feeling?" _she asked.

- _"Fine, thanks to you. I can't tell you how grateful I am for you help, Missus…?"_ said Quistis.

- _"Just call me Iris, hon."_ said the woman kindly.

- _"How long have I been…'out'?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"Just since last night. Thank Hyne, Seifer brought you here immediately."_ replied Iris.

- _"Right…"_ said Quistis smiling awkwardly _"Where is he?"_

- _"Downstairs, getting some breakfast with my daughter, Jenna. The poor boy is exhausted…"_ said Iris.

- _"Yeah, we went through a lot trying to get here…"_ Quistis mumbled.

- _"I can imagine…"_ said Iris nodding _"You know, you're really lucky to have a man like him."_ she added smiling warmly.

- _"What?"_ asked Quistis blushing _"Oh, no… He's not… We're not…together…"_ she said.

- _"Oh…"_ said Iris **_'Thought so…'_**_ "Sorry, my mistake."_

- _"It's alright…"_ said Quistis shrugging.

- _"But I guess it was a plausible mistake to do, since he didn't leave your side all night. I thought he was your boyfriend…"_ said Iris getting up, smiling mischievously as Quistis turned burning red on the face.__

- _"Didn't leave my side…? But he said-"_ Quistis began.

- _"I came to check upon you at __five thirty__ and he was still up. I'm guessing he fell asleep sometime later."_ replied Iris, picking up another blue Remedy bottle from the nightstand.

- _"Oh…"_ muttered Quistis, not knowing what else to say **_'So he _did_ stay up all night next to me…'_** she thought, her insides getting much warmer.

- _"Come on dear,"_ said Iris, bringing the Remedy bottle up to her lips _"Time for another Remedy. It'll help you recover easily."_

- _"Ungh,"_ grunted Quistis, adopting a disgusted expression _"I hate Remedies. I rarely use them in battle. I prefer Esunas."_

- _"Don't be such a baby!"_ said Iris _"Now open up your mouth."_

            Quistis reluctantly agreed and swallowed the healing liquid with difficulty. Iris didn't let her go until she'd drunk the lot. Quistis shivered in disgust and groaned.

- _"Well, the good news is that you won't have to take another Remedy," _said Iris, putting the bottle away _"But you will have to take a few Potions for some days and stay in bed."_

- _ "I don't mind Potions,"_ replied Quistis _"They taste much better… Oh, by the way, I want you to write me your address down somewhere so that I can send you the money for the Remedies and everything when we get back to Garden."_

- _"You're not serious, are you?"_ asked Iris, raising an eyebrow.__

- _"Of course I am! Remedies are really expensive! You just spent 1000 Gil on me!"_ said Quistis.__

- _"Forget it!"_ said Iris firmly _"I won't accept your money!"_

- _"But-"_ began Quistis.__

- _"Are you hungry?"_ Iris asked quickly, changing the subject.__

- _"What?"_ asked Quistis.__

- _"I asked if you're hungry."_ repeated Iris.__

- _"A bit…"_ replied Quistis, rubbing her stomach.__

- _"I'll send something up with Seifer…"_ said Iris, smiling, leaving the room.__

- _"No! You don't have to-"_ began Quistis, but soon found herself speaking to an empty room.__

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"…so my dad is off to FH now, but he'll be back in a couple of days." _spoke Jenna.

- _"I see…"_ said Seifer nodding.

- _"What about your parents?"_ asked Jenna.

- _"I'm an orphan."_ replied Seifer.

- _"Oh, I'm sorry!"_ apologized Jenna.

- _"That's alright, you couldn't have known…"_

- _"So… If you don't mind me prying… where did you grow up?"_ she asked.

- _"I know it might sound weird… but I can't remember anything about my life before going to Garden."_ he said shrugging _"I went there really young."_

- _"Right…"_ said Jenna nodding _"And you met Quistis there?"_ she asked.

- _"Yeah. She used to be my Instructor."_ replied Seifer.

- _"Your **instructor**?!"_ exclaimed Jenna _"But she looks just as old as you…"_

- _"She is."_ replied Seifer grinning _"I'm only a couple of months younger than her."_

- _"But then, how…?"_ asked Jenna confused.

- _"Quistis is Garden's prodigy child. She became a SeeD at fifteen and got her Instructor license about two years later."_ he said.

- _"Amazing…"_ said Jenna impressed.

- _"Yeah… She really **is** something…"_ mumbled Seifer.

            Iris walked down the stairs to the kitchen. She found Seifer and Jenna talking, having finished their breakfast. Seifer was sipping some coffee, while Jenna was drinking orange juice. Upon hearing her footsteps, Seifer immediately turned around.

- _"How is she?" _he asked worriedly.

- _"She's fine,"_ replied Iris smiling _"Think you can take up something for her to eat?"_ she asked.

- _"Sure, sure…"_ said Seifer getting up.

- _"Wait…I'll get a tray ready."_ said Iris, walking over to the kitchen counters.

            Seifer waited patiently, while Iris put a few pieces of toast on the tray, a glass of orange juice, some butter, marmalade and a small knife. She handed the tray to Seifer and the blond hurried up the stairs.

- _"Is she doing OK?" _Jenna asked her mother.

- _"She'll be alright…She just needs to rest."_ replied Iris _"Oh and Jenna? Why don't you lend her a pair of pajamas to wear while she's here?"_

- _"Sure, they'll probably fit her."_ replied Jenna sportingly.

- _"Well go get them, what are you waiting for?"_ asked Iris.

- _"In a bit… Let those two have a moment alone…"_ said Jenna smiling.

- _"He's not her boyfriend you know… Quistis said so."_ Iris said grinning. Jenna's jaw dropped _"I told you…"_

- _"But he seems to like her so much…"_ said Jenna.

- _"Oh he **does**."_ said Iris knowingly _"They **both** do… They just don't know it yet…"_

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer barged inside the bedroom, not bothering to knock. Quistis jumped up startled at the sight of him.

- _"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?! I could be getting dressed in here!" _she hissed at him **_'Nothing I haven't seen…'_** thought Seifer, his mind trailing off to the events of last night. He quickly shook himself mentally and tried to come up with something witty to retort.__

- _"You're right… I **should** have knocked… Wouldn't want to hurt my precious eyes with the horrible sight…"_ he spat back smirking.__

            Quistis narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a poisonous glare **_'I can't believe I actually felt BAD for him for staying up all night because of me!'_** she thought.

- _"Here," _he said approaching her, laying the tray on her lap _"Iris thought you should eat something…"_

- _"Tell her I said thanks…"_ mumbled Quistis.__

- _"Hey, **I **had something to do with this too, you know! I carried the tray all the way up to you!"_ said Seifer exasperated.__

- _"Oh… right…"_ Quistis said sarcastically _"Thanks… I guess…"_

- _"Ungh… Whatever… Just eat…"_ said Seifer, shaking his head in disbelief.__

            Quistis sat up on the bed, putting the blanket right underneath her armpits. Seifer shot her a sideways glance, feeling the neckline of his vest extremely tight all of a sudden, as he looked at her bare shoulders. Quistis had just buttered her toast and was about to take a bite, when she saw him pull his neckline with his finger.

- _"What?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Nothing… I just feel… kinda… warm…" _he said, looking away.

            Quistis shrugged and began eating her breakfast greedily. Seifer looked at her again and grinned.

- _"Damn, Trepe… And I thought Chicken-wuss ate like a pig…" _he said smirking.

- _"Bite me…" _said Quistis, through a full mouth.

            **_'Love to…' _**Seifer found himself thinking and immediately cursed at himself mentally for that thought.

- _"*Ahem* I… uhh," _he mumbled _"I thought that maybe we should call Garden today and see if they could order us some tickets to get back."_

- _"Good idea."_

- _"Let's just hope everything went well…"_ Seifer said worriedly.

- _"Why? What do you mean 'went well'?"_ asked Quistis confused.

- _"*Sigh* Sit back and listen…"_ began Seifer. Quistis grabbed her juice glass and rested her back against the wall, eyeing Seifer eagerly _"After that incident at the TV station we all hurried here. Iris let us stick around for a bit. We took the train to G-Garden and left you at the Infirmary there. They told us they'd be transferring you to Balamb, but they never did. We only found out about it recently. Anyway…There, we were ordered by the Headmasters of both Balamb and __Galbadia__Garden__ to go on a mission."_

- _"Both Gardens?"_ asked Quistis intrigued _"What mission?"_

- _"Remember that woman at the TV station?" _

- _"Of course…"_

- _"Turns out she was Sorceress Edea."_ said Seifer.

- _"Oh my Hyne!"_ exclaimed Quistis.

- _"I know… We met a guy named __Irvine__ Kinneas who was supposed to be our sharpshooter for the mission. We all left for Deling and met General Caraway there. By the way, he's Rinoa's father…"_

- _"WHAT?!"_ shouted Quistis, choking on her juice.

- _"Anyway… We went off for the mission, but Rinoa was forced by her father to stay behind. She couldn't take it though and tried to take on the Sorceress by herself."_ narrated Seifer.

- _"Oh no…"_

- _"It gets worse… She ended up under her spell and we had to rush to save her…"_

- _"You and Squall?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"Yes, and that __Irvine__ guy… We made it and then we had to fight Edea. To make a long story short,"_ said Seifer, lowering his head _"She… did… something to me and after that I don't remember much…"_

- _"What did she do?"_ asked Quistis concerned.

- _"That's not the point…"_ said Seifer avoiding answering her question _"When I woke up I was in a cell in D-District prison. Everyone else was held there as well. __Irvine__ and Rinoa came for us and helped everyone escape. When we got out we split into three teams."_

- _"Three teams for what?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"Well… __Irvine__ and Rin informed us that the Galbadians were going to bomb the other two Gardens and that they were holding you captive to threaten B-Garden." _replied Seifer.

- _"BOMB the two Gardens?!" _exclaimed Quistis, almost dropping her glass.

- _"Yes… Selphie and __Irvine__ went to the Missile base to stop the launch. They didn't manage to save Trabia… Squall, Rinoa and Zell went to Balamb to warn everyone in case __Irvine__ and Selphie failed."_

- _"Oh Hyne…" _said Quistis, holding her forehead _"This is terrible…"_

- _"Yeah, I know… Jenna says she didn't hear anything on the news about __Balamb__Garden__ being bombed. Maybe they made it…" _Seifer said, trying to sound optimistic.

- _"And… you came to Galbadia all by yourself?" _asked Quistis shyly.

- _"Yeah…" _Seifer said shrugging.

- _"Why?" _Quistis asked.

- _"I dunno,"_ said Seifer looking away _"I guess I wanted to… thank you for… saving me back at the TV station…"_

- _"Oh…" _mumbled Quistis.

            Silence overtook them. Both of them avoided each other's gaze. Right then, there was a knock on the door and Jenna entered holding a set of pajamas.

- _"Am I interrupting anything?" _she asked shyly.

- _"No Jenna, come in…" _said Seifer _"Jenna, Quistis. Quistis, Jenna." _he added, introducing the two girls.

            Quistis smiled and nodded at the pretty brunette in front of her, receiving a polite nod and a warm smile back.

- _"I brought you something to wear in here." _said Jenna.

- _"Oh, you shouldn't have bothered… I've got my clothes with me…"_ said Quistis.

- _"Don't be ridiculous… You can't wear a battle gear in bed."_ said Jenna grinning.

- _"I'll go make that call…"_ said Seifer getting up _"I'll leave you get dressed…"_

- _"Oh wait! I want to be in front too. Just wait for a sec outside and I'll call you when I'm dressed."_ said Quistis. 

- _"OK…"_ said Seifer.

- _"Need any help?"_ offered Jenna.

- _"No, I'll be fine. Thank you very much, Jenna…"_ replied Quistis.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer waited outside the room, leaning against the wooden door. After about five minutes, he heard Quistis's muffled voice from inside, telling him he could come in. He walked back inside and found her dressed in a set of baby blue pajamas. 

- _"Come on, let's go downstairs." _said Seifer.

- _"Alright…"_ said Quistis trying to get up from bed, but stumbled and almost tripped.

- _"Still can't walk well?"_ he asked, approaching her.

- _"I'll be fine…"_ she said and put her hand up against the wall.

- _"*Sigh* Come on, I'll help you down…"_ he said, offering her his shoulder to lean upon.

- _"I said I'll be **fine**!"_ snapped Quistis.

- _"Hyne, woman! Stop being so damn stubborn and let me help you already!"_ shouted Seifer.    

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Iris was down at the kitchen with Jenna chatting during washing dishes, while Vincent and Tidus were outside, playing.

- _"…so I told __Marion__ that she should consider joining our group because-"_ Jenna said, but was interrupted by shouting from upstairs.

- _"Shh…"_ Iris said, holding up her hand.

- _"Hyne, woman! Stop being so damn stubborn and let me help you already!"_

- _"I - CAN - MANAGE!"_

- _"Look, I've got to go make a call and can't waste any more time on YOU! I'm going downstairs and you can just LIMP your way down there!"_

- _"Oh, no you DON'T! You're **NOT** making that call without me!"_

- _"It'll take you AGES to walk downstairs!"_

- _"Just wait and see!"_

- _"You DO realize that if you'd just let me help you we'd be down there ALREADY, don't you?!"_

- _"Sod off, Almasy! I said I can manage and you're gonna wait for me!"_

- _"The hell I am!"_

- _"Seifer, wha-?! Hold it RIGHT THERE! Don't you **DARE**! AARGH! PUT ME DOWN, YOU __MORON__!"_

- _"Just shut the hell up and STOP SQUIRMING!"_

- _"You're not the boss of me!"_

            Iris and Jenna broke into laughter, but went quiet as soon as they heard he door upstairs open. The shouts became louder now.

- _"LET GO!!!"_

- _"SHUT UP! You're gonna wake up the entire block!"_

- _"Then LET – GO!" _

- _"Alright…"_

- _"Seifer NO! Yaaahhh! Don't you DARE DROP ME!"_

- _"Or you'll what?"_

- _"Or I'll-"_

            Quistis stopped shouting, as they'd almost reached the 1st floor and noticed that Iris and Jenna were looking at them, wide-eyed. And reasonably enough; Seifer was holding Quistis's left leg from the ankle, while her other one had encircled Seifer's neck, as she hung upside down. Her hands where grasping his vest, threatening to rip it to pieces, with force admirable for a person who'd just recovered from a weak state. They both shot Iris and Jenna awkward smiles.

- _"Hi."_ said Quistis grinning.

- _"Umm… Could we use your phone?"_ asked Seifer. Iris and Jenna nodded in unison, with jaws dropped down _"OK… Where is it?"_ he asked again. Iris and Jenna pointed towards the counter by the door _"Thank you."_

            Seifer walked over to the phone and once there, he held Quistis from the waist with one hand and with one graceful move, let her back to her feet. Quistis stumbled a bit, feeling dizzy and straightened her loose hair. She shot a glare at Seifer and nudged him hard on the ribs. Seifer let out a groan and muttered something that sounded a whole lot like 'bitch' through clenched teeth. Quistis ignored him and picked up the receiver of the blue phone, dialing the number of Balamb Garden. She waited a bit, while Seifer stood next to her, arms crossed.

- _"The number you have called, is unattainable due to technical reasons."_ spoke a voice through the other end of the line.

            Quistis hung up and looked at Seifer terrified.

- _"Oh my Hyne! 'Technical reasons'?!"_ she said, trying to choke down a whimper.

- _"Hey, hey… This could mean anything…"_ said Seifer, holding her arms _"It doesn't mean that Garden got-"_

- _"What if everyone was in there?!"_ she whispered, while tears formed in her eyes _"Squall, Zell, Rinoa, Selphie!"_

- _"Come on,"_ said Seifer softly, trying to comfort her _"We would have heard something on the news…"_ he added, touching her cheek with one palm. Quistis sniffed and a tear ran down her cheek _"**Think**. Do you know **anyone's** cell-phone number we could call?"_ he asked.

- _"I… I think… I think I remember Cid's…"_ she said, sniffing again.

- _"Good. Now calm down."_ Seifer said, holding the base of her neck with both hands _"If you do, then I'm sure it'll come to you…"_

            Quistis breathed deeply and wiped her teary eyes, falling deep in thought. Iris and Jenna shot each other puzzled looks. These two were unbelievable; one moment they're arguing like cat and dog, the next they're trying to comfort each other.

- _"6943 875340."_ said Quistis calmly at some point _"That's it."_

- _ "See? I knew you'd remember it…"_ said Seifer, smiling warmly at her. Quistis returned the smile.

- _ "I'll make the call."_ she said and turned back around to the counter.

            She picked up the receiver again and dialed the number. She bit one of her fingernails in anxiety as she waited.

- _"It's calling…"_ she said, looking at Seifer, who stood there, looking at her eagerly.

            Quistis heard the phone ring about seven times, before a male voice answered the call.

- _"Hello?"_ said the man.

- _"HEADMASTER CID?!"_ exclaimed Quistis in delight. Next to her, Seifer's eyes widened in joy.

- _"Quistis?!"_ Cid shouted back _"Thank Hyne, you're alright!"_

- _"What's going on?! What happened with the missiles?!"_ asked Quistis worriedly.

- _"Everything turned out fine, Quistis. We didn't get hit."_ replied Cid.

- _"Oh thank Hyne…"_ said Quistis sighing in relief.

- _"Where are you?"_ asked Cid.

- _"In Timber. With Seifer."_ replied Quistis.

- _"SEIFER?! Hand him over the phone, NOW!"_ ordered Cid.

            Puzzled, Quistis handed over the receiver to Seifer. 

- _"Aw shit…"_ mumbled Seifer, as if knowing what exactly would follow.

            Quistis walked over to Iris and Jenna who asked her what was going on. Quistis just shrugged and turned to look at Seifer.

- _"Hello Headm-"_ began Seifer hesitantly.

- _"SEIFER ALMASY!"_ roared Cid _"You irresponsible fool!"_ he yelled, making Seifer keep the receiver away from his ear _"What the hell were you thinking, running off to __Galbadia__Garden__ all by yourself?!"_

- _"Sir, I-"_ began Seifer.

- _"Shut it, Seifer!"_ shouted Cid _"You could have gotten both yourself AND Quistis killed during that mission!"_

- _"But I didn't, did I?"_ Seifer asked, smirking.

- _"I DON'T CARE!"_ yelled Cid _"Just make sure you get Quistis back safely and **THEN** we'll talk!"_

- _"Fine, we'll be in Balamb this afternoon…"_ muttered Seifer.

- _"Who said anything about Balamb?"_ asked Cid.

- _"Well, where the hell should I bring her back to?!"_ asked Seifer exasperated.

- _"Fisherman's Horizon."_ replied Cid.

- _"What? Why?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"Because that's where __Balamb__Garden__ is temporarily stationed."_

- _"'Stationed'?!"_ asked Seifer, utterly confused.

- _"It's a long story to explain through the phone, just be here as soon as possible."_

- _"Well how do you expect I do that?! We have **no** Gil, **no** SeeD IDs, **no** items, and Trepe doesn't even have her weapon!"_ said Seifer.

- _"Alright, alright… I'll send a SeeD aircraft to pick you up from Timber. It should be there in three hours. *Click*"_

            Seifer was left staring at the receiver dumbfounded. He hung up and turned over to the three women, rubbing the back of his hair.

- _"What? What did Cid say?"_ asked Quistis eagerly.

- _"He said that I should bring you over to Fisherman's Horizon…"_ replied Seifer.

- _"What? Why?"_ Quistis asked puzzled.

- _"My questions exactly…"_ said Seifer shrugging _"He said the Garden in now 'stationed' there temporarily."_

- _"What does he mean 'stationed'?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Hey, I'm as confused as you are…" _said Seifer.

- _"Is everyone alright back in Garden?" _asked Jenna.

- _"Yeah, Cid said so at least…" _replied Quistis.

- _"So what are you going to do now?" _asked Iris.

- _"The headmaster ordered me to take Quistis back there as soon as possible, so I guess we should leave right about now…" _replied Seifer.

- _"Well, how are we ever going to get to FH?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Cid'll send an aircraft right now. It'll be here in about three hours." _said Seifer.

- _"Alright… Better go get ready then…" _said _Quistis "Can't wait to have a long, hot bath… I reek…"_

- _"Why don't you **both** take a shower or something here? You've still got plenty of time before you leave…" _suggested Iris.

- _"Thank you very much Iris, but we've already given you too much trouble…" _said Quistis.

- _"Nonsense! Seifer, you can go have a shower first and then Quistis will have a bath." _said Jenna.

- _"No, really it's…" _began Seifer.

- _"Upstairs! Now!" _ordered Iris.

- _"OK, OK, I'm going!" _said Seifer, his eyes shooting wide open.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was sitting down at the kitchen table with Iris, Jenna and Iris's two young sons when Quistis came down the stairs. She was dressed in her peach battle gear and her damp hair was let down. She carefully took each step down, holding onto the railing of the stairs. Seifer got up and walked up to her, offering her his hand.

            Quistis looked at him; he was now freshly shaved, his blond spikes were falling damp on his face and he definitely smelled a lot better than he did before... His eyes were fixed on her, expressionless, yet seemingly polite. Quistis took his hand and carefully walked down the rest of the wooden steps, joining everyone on the table.

- _"I believe you haven't met my two sons."_ said Iris _"This is Vincent and Tidus."_

- _"Hi, I'm Quistis."_ the blonde said politely, smiling at them.

- _"I'm Vince."_ said one of them.

- _"I'm yours…"_ said the other one, grinning goofily, earning a smack on the head by his mother.

- _"Don't be rude!"_ yelled Iris.

- _"No, it's OK…"_ said Quistis chuckling, while Jenna and Seifer grinned.

- _"It's almost time."_ said Seifer _"Are you ready?"_

- _"Yes, it's not like I had to pack anything…"_ replied Quistis, grinning.

- _"Did you take the Potion I left for you in the room?"_ asked Iris.

- _"Yes, thank you very much. I feel really well now."_ she said _"By the way, would you happen to have to have a hair clip or a hair band?"_ she asked, holding her wet locks of hair.

- _"Sure."_ said Jenna _"Here…"_ she added, handing Quistis a hair band she took off her wrist.

- _"Thank you…"_ said Quistis, pulling her hair up in a ponytail.

- _"All set?"_ asked Seifer _"We're meeting the SeeD aircraft out by the town outskirts."_

- _"When?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"In about,"_ said Seifer, glancing at his watch _"Twenty minutes. Better get goin'."_

- _"OK…"_ said Quistis getting up.

            The pair hugged everyone goodbye, thanking them for everything once again and left the small house, making their way over to the outer Gates of the city. After another small quarrel, Quistis agreed to let Seifer help her walk and the duet soon reached the outskirts of Timber, where the aircraft was already waiting. Finally; they were going back home...  

* * *

**A/N:** The scene were Seifer undressed Quistis promises a **lot** of torturing in the future… Just wait and see ^_~

Until next time, adios!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Quistis and Seifer return safe back to Garden and try to catch up on what has happened during their absense_


	20. Chapter 19: Going back home

**A/N:** Weather's starting to become sunnier… Exams approaching in about a month… Crap.

How are **you** doing? ^_^

One small note about this chapter. There's some misunderstanding over what happened to NORG after he was defeated in Garden. I've been told he went into hibernation in order to 'evolve'. True, I support that as well, but I believe he was kicked out of Garden as well… Meh, to each his own I suppose. Just keep in mind that this is the scenario I'm going with in this story.

Credit for 'The Black Cat' excerpt goes to the late, amazing Edgar Allan Poe, a true master of his kind.****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After spending some time in the hospitable environment of a woman in Timber, Seifer and Quistis are heading back to Garden. _

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                   Chapter 19: Going back home**

* * *

* * *

            Quistis was looking out of the window by her seat in the airborne SeeD craft. She sighed and covered herself up with Seifer's coat, which he'd insisted on offering her once she'd commented on how it felt a bit cold inside the aircraft. She smiled. After that long ordeal, they were going to see their friends again… alive. She couldn't believe that she had actually gotten out of Galbadia Garden in one piece. And with such an impressive escape… She chuckled as she remembered the looks on the Galbadians' faces when the bike she was on, set the road on fire and sped off the distance, leaving them all dumbfounded. And she owed it all to Seifer…

            She turned around to look at him, sitting next to her and found him sleeping. He had his arms folded in front of his chest and seemed to be a bit shivering. The small navy blue blanket he'd been offered by the two pilots was hardly covering him. Felling she'd monopolized the warmth of the coat long enough, Quistis gently removed the blanket off him and covered him with his coat. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and looked at him once more. She chuckled. He was obviously in very deep sleep and he was snoring the slightest bit. Hyne knew he needed it; he'd hardly gotten any sleep the previous night. And all because of her... She sighed again. What games was he playing with her? Why did he rush out on his own to save her, now having to face Cid's wrath and most importantly, risking his own life? Damn he was confusing her... Damn him...

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_            Seifer was lying on the bed of his dorm room in Garden, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants. He was looking up at the ceiling, taking long drags from his cigarette, blowing the smoke into circlets in the air. His leisure time was interrupted by a knock on his door. Puzzled, he looked at his bed-side clock. It read __1:32 a.m.__ Who could it be at that hour? He was certainly not expecting anyone…_

_             He got up and approached the door, opening it. He was more than surprised to find Quistis outside, wearing his long trench coat._

- _"Been looking for that…" said Seifer, looking at her._

- _"I thought so…" said Quistis, gently pushing him aside, making her way inside the room "I came to return it to you…" she said smiling at him._

- _"At this hour?" he asked puzzled._

- _"Did I interrupt anything? Do you want me to leave?" she asked, although she already knew the answer._

- _"No, no, it's OK…" said Seifer._

- _"Good," said Quistis, grinning mischievously "Because I also wanted to thank you…" she added, pulling the hair clip off her hair, letting it fall loose into a glorious waterfall of gold._

- _"Thank me?" Seifer asked "For what?"_

- _"For saving me…" she said seductively, approaching him, resting her palms on his shoulders._

- _"Oh… Uhh… Well…" stuttered Seifer "You're welcome…"_

- _"I haven't thanked you **yet**…" said Quistis, looking at him, biting her bottom lip._

_            Seifer looked at her puzzled, then utterly surprised when she flung off the trench coat, revealing her, naked underneath it, body. She pulled him roughly from the shirt and gave him a fierce kiss._

- _"Take me, Seifer…" she said huskily._

            _Seifer found himself thrown onto his bed, Quistis lying on top of him, starting to undo his pants…_

                                                                                                                                                      ******

- _"Gaaahh!"_ Seifer choked, jolting up from his seat.

            He looked around him and saw he was still on the SeeD aircraft, heading back to Balamb. He pulled up the coat which had almost slipped off him and turned to his side. He saw Quistis sitting right next to him, wrapped up in the blanket **he** should be covered with, looking at him worriedly.

- _"Seifer, are you alright?"_ she asked, touching his shoulder.

- _"Huh?!"_ he said, jumping up at her touch _"I'm fine, fine…"_ he said, pulling away.

- _"Bad dream?"_ she asked.

- _"You don't know half of it…"_ he mumbled under his breath.

            **_'Dammit! Fuck, fuck, FUCK! The only thing I needed to make it all worse, is dreaming about her like that!'_** he thought. He sighed and glanced over by the window next to Quistis. He turned his head back and slouched into his seat, slightly trembling.

- _"Dammit…We're still not on the fucking ground?"_ he said through clenched teeth, gripping the sides of his seat roughly..

- _"No, but we're almost there…"_ replied Quistis _"Why, what's wrong?"_

- _"Nothing…"_ he grunted.  

- _"**Some**thing…"_ she insisted.

- _"*Pause* If I tell you,"_ he said hesitantly _"You **promise** you won't laugh?"_

- _"I promise."_ said Quistis, raising an eyebrow, intrigued about what she was going to hear.

- _"*Pause* I… I'm afraid of flying…"_ he said.

- _"What?"_ asked Quistis, grinning.

- _"Dammit Trepe, you promised!"_ he said angrily.

- _"I wasn't making fun of you!"_ she protested, trying not to laugh _"I was just surprised! The almighty Almasy, afraid of flying…"_

- _"It's not fucking funny…"_ he said, crossing his arms.

- _"OK, OK…"_ said Quistis grinning _"I promise I won't tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me…"_ she said, smiling warmly at him.

            Seifer turned and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. He scoffed, then grinned. Soon they both burst out laughing and went on doing so for the few remaining minutes of the flight...

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_                                                I wonder what his dream was about…_

_                                                                                    You can always ask…_

_                                                                                                            Don't you think it would be odd if I just walked up to him and asked him what was it he_

_                                                                                                             saw in his dream years ago?_

_                                    A bit, yes…_

_                                                            Oh well… Maybe I'll find out later on… Keep going._

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Cid, Squall, Zell and Rinoa were standing on the aircraft landing site on the top floor of Balamb Garden, patiently waiting for the SeeD aircraft to arrive.

- _"Here they come!"_ Rinoa squealed in delight upon seeing the aircraft in the horizon.

            The airborne craft approached the vicinity of Garden, the engines humming loudly. The quartet stepped back as it began descending, holding onto their clothes, because of the fierce wind the helixes caused. The aircraft landed within two minutes, engines shutting off. The doors slid open and Seifer stepped out first, his long trench coat being blown dramatically by the wind. He extended his arm inside, pulling out Quistis who began muttering something in indignation.

- _"Instructor Trepe! Seifer!"_ shouted Rinoa and ran towards them.

            She rushed over to Quistis hugging her so tightly, as if wanting to suffocate her.

- _"Rinoa… Ungh…"_ said Quistis hoarsely _"…Air…"_

- _"Oh, I'm so glad you came back safe, miss Trepe!"_ Rinoa said pulling away, smiling at her

- _"Please… Just call me Quistis…" _Quistis said, smiling at the girl.

- _"Alright… Quistis." _Rinoa replied _"Seifer…"_ she said.

- _"Rinoa…"_ he replied, nodding at her.

- _"Ah, come here!"_ she said, hugging him tightly, too.

            Seifer flinched a bit to her touch, but wrapped his arms around her as well. A few feet away, he noticed Squall frowning slightly. But then again, so did Quistis... He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that...

- _"How are you feeling?"_ Rinoa asked Quistis.

- _"Much better. I still have a bit of trouble walking though."_ replied the blonde.

- _"Come on, let's go… We have a __LOT__ to tell you guys…"_ said Rinoa, passing Quistis' arm around her shoulder.

            The three walked over to the others. Cid smiled warmly at Quistis, but his expression changed when he looked at Seifer. 

- _"Quistis,"_ he said, holding her hands _"Welcome back."_

- _"Thank you, sir."_ said Quistis beaming _"It's good to be back."_

- _"Seifer…"_ said Cid, turning over to him.

- _"Headmaster, sir…"_ said Seifer, standing up straight.

- _"Although I was somewhat… angry, over the phone… welcome back, too."_ he said, smiling at him as well.

- _"Uhh… Thank you, sir."_ replied Seifer, a bit surprised. He looked over at Squall and Zell _"Leonhart…Ch-err, Dincht…"_ he said, nodding at them.

- _"Almasy…" _they said in unison, nodding back.

- _"So what's the deal with FH?" _asked Seifer _"How on earth did you get Garden here?!"_

- _"When we returned to warn everyone about the missiles, we tampered a bit with the mechanisms down at the substation and made Garden mobile!" _exclaimed Zell.

- _"What?" _asked Seifer and Quistis in unison.

- _"Garden used to be a war shelter." _spoke Squall quietly _"There was a special mechanism that turned it mobile and cast a shield upon it. We found it."_ he added.

- _"What about the others?"_ asked Quistis _"Selphie and Irv…something…"_

- _"Irvine."_ said Rinoa, getting gloomy _"We don't know what happened to them. I suppose they didn't stop the missiles, since they attacked us but got knocked off the shield…"_

- _"Haven't they contacted you?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"No…"_ replied Zell, frowning.

- _"Do you think the Galbadians got them?"_ asked Quistis worriedly.

- _"We don't know… But they probably would have threatened us if they had them…"_ replied Squall.

- _"So…why FH?"_ asked Seifer again.

- _"We're still kinda trying to figure out how to fly Garden…"_ replied Zell, grinning.

- _"And we sort of… crashed here…"_ added Rinoa.

- _"We were going to go talk to the townspeople, to the mayor basically, and apologize."_ said Zell.

- _"You two can go get some rest. Squall, Rinoa and Zell can go."_ said Cid.

- _"Alright…"_ said Seifer, grabbing Quistis from the arm _"Come on, let's go."_

- _"Not again…"_ sighed Quistis _"I TOLD you, I can-"_

- _"Put a cork in it, Instructor…"_ Seifer said wearily, dragging her over to the entrance to the Garden building. 

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Seifer, I'm not **DYING**! I just need some rest!" _Quistis protested, as Seifer adjusted the pillows behind her back and covered her up with a blanket.

- _"Sheesh, talk about ungratefulness!" _Seifer said exasperated, moving away from Quistis's bed.

- _"Thank you, but I don't need a nurse. I'm **fine**." _she said, crossing her arms.

- _"Fine, I'm going then." _he replied, brooding, heading towards the door.

- _"You do that."_

            Seifer was only inches away from the door, when he heard knocking. Puzzled, he turned around and looked at Quistis, who simply shrugged. Seifer opened the door, only to find Headmaster Cid standing outside. Seifer arched both eyebrows.

- _"Oh good." _said Cid _"I was hoping I'd find you both. I…" _he hesitated _"I needed to talk to you."_

- _"Come in, Headmaster." _Quistis spoke from inside the room.__

            Seifer grabbed the only chair inside Quistis's room and placed it next to the bed, offering Cid a seat. He walked over to Quistis's bed and sat down on the bottom end.

- _"Is there something wrong?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Not… Not really… It's just something the others have already been informed upon and you should be aware of it, too." _Cid replied.

- _"Go on." _Seifer said, creasing his forehead.

- _"First of all, are you both familiar with Garden's master?"_ asked Cid.

- _"Erm… No." _replied Seifer, shaking his head.

- _"Master NORG?" _asked Quistis. Cid nodded.

- _"Who's he?" _Seifer asked, glancing from Quistis to Cid.

- _"He's… the financial 'force' behind Garden." _replied Cid _"He basically owns Garden… or I should say… **owned**." _

- _"Owned?" _said Quistis.

- _"Yes. You see, lately, we haven't been on very good terms with each other…" _said Cid _"After the news on the attack to Sorceress Edea – Quistis, are you aware of what happened then?"_

- _"Yes, sir. Seifer informed me." _Quistis replied.

- _"Good, good." _continued Cid _"After the news on the attack, chaos reigned within Garden. The students split up into two sides. One, supported me, and the other supported Master NORG. The faculty members where on that side as well."_

- _"What kind of a name is 'NORG' anyway?" _asked Seifer.

- _"NORG is not… human." _replied Cid. Both blondes arched an eyebrow.

- _"That I did not know." _Quistis said.

- _"It's not very common knowledge." _said Cid _"He's part of the Shumi tribe. Kind of the 'black sheep' of the race. He was only interested in financial gain, much unlike the rest of the Shumis. That's why he invested on Garden in the first place. Trusting him was one of the biggest mistakes of my life…" _Cid said, shaking his head in disbelief.

- _"But why did the Garden split up after the attack?" _Quistis asked.

- _"You were fooled."_ said Cid, looking at Seifer _"The order to take out the Sorceress didn't come from both Gardens. It was only G-Garden's idea. When you arrived for help in G-Garden, they were ready to carry out the mission. The timing was perfect. Not wanting to lose any of the soldiers or put the blame on themselves, they used you."_

- _"Holy shit…" _Seifer mumbled, earning a mild glare from Cid _"But how does the NORG guy fit into all this?"_

- _"After the attack, all the blame was placed on NORG, since he practically owned Garden. In order to appease the Sorceress's wrath, he offered her my head along with the rest of you." _Cid replied _"He ordered the students to find me and hand me to him. However, many of them sided with me. When Squall, Rinoa and Zell arrived, they were caught in the middle of the whole mess. Once the managed to find me-"_ Cid spoke.

- _"Find you? Why? Where were you?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Heh…" _grinned Cid _"Deep down, I'm just a big coward. I always run from situations like that…" _he admitted _"Anyway… Once the found me, they informed me about the missiles. You already know how we got through that, right?"_

- _"Yes, you explained it once we landed here." _Quistis replied.

- _"Alright… After the missile attack failed, things got a bit calmer. But my argument with NORG was not. He ordered Squall and his team to report to him about the mission in __Deling__City__. Things got out of hand, and they ended up into a battle. NORG was beaten and forced to leave Garden for good. Him and all the Faculty members." _Cid narrated.

- _"No wonder I didn't see any of them around…" _Seifer noted.

- _"Exactly… They're all gone." _said Cid.

- _"But what about Garden's financial state now?" _asked Quistis, worried.

- _"We'll manage… Don't worry. We get a lot of mission daily and we'll pick up soon."_ Cid reassured her _"And there's one more issue. Do you both know Ellone?"_

- _"Yes." _replied Quistis.

- _"No." _said Seifer, shaking his head.

- _"I'll explain later…" _Quistis told him _"What about her?" _she asked Cid.

- _"Well, apparently the Galbadians are looking for her, for some reason. She was hiding here for a while, but the white SeeDs came and picked her up in their ship. She'll be safe with them."_ replied the headmaster.

- _"The white SeeDs?" _asked Seifer, puzzled.

- _"Edea's SeeDs." _replied Cid.

            There was an awkward silence that lasted a good two minutes.

- _"What?" _Seifer spoke, eventually.

- _"Edea wasn't always a malevolent Sorceress." _said Cid, his voice full of melancholy _"There were times…" _he said, getting up _"There were times when she was a really great woman."_

            Cid walked towards the door. Seifer got up as well, to close the door behind him.

- _"There were times when I still could recognize the woman I loved and married." _Cid said bitterly, giving them the saddest smile they'd ever laid eyes upon, opening the door and exiting Quistis's dorm.

            Quistis and Seifer were left staring at the ajar door, jaws dropped. Seifer slowly turned and looked at Quistis.

- _"Did he just say…?" _he asked, in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

- _"C-close the door…" _Quistis said, holding her forehead with one palm.

            Seifer did as he was told and walked over to Quistis's side, sitting on the chair.

- _"Did… Did you know anything about this?" _Quistis asked Seifer.

- _"Do I look like I did?!"_ Seifer replied, exasperated _"Damn… Sorceress Edea… and Cid…"_

- _"Married…" _Quistis completed Seifer's sentence _"Do you think they still are?"_

- _"I don't know… Maybe…" _replied Seifer _"Shit…"_

- _"But… SeeDs are supposed to fight against the Sorceress!" _Quistis said _"How could he possibly give out an order like this?!" _

- _"I know… He either protects the world… or the woman he loves…" _Seifer said, falling deep in thought.

- _"How could a person make a decision like that?" _Quistis whispered, looking down.

- _"Hey… who's Ellone?"_ Seifer asked, after a long pause.

- _"How can you even ask about this now?!" _Quistis said, exasperated.

- _"I don't know! I can't figure out the whole Sorceress-Cid thing! So there's no point in giving it any more thought!" _Seifer snapped.

- _"I suppose you're right…"_

- _"I **always** am…" _Seifer said, looking at Quistis.

- _"Drop your ego down a good portion if you want to hear about Ellone…" _Quistis said, crossing her arms.

- _"Fine. I take it back… Tell me about that chick now?" _Seifer said wearily.

- _"She's a person from the 'Dream World'." _Quistis replied _"That's why I didn't want to speak in front of Cid. She knows Laguna and the others."_

- _"I see… And she was here?!" _Seifer asked incredulously.

- _"I suppose so… We need to talk to the others and see if they know more…" _Quistis said.

- _"Just ask 'Puberty-Boy'… He'll know. Can't let the Garden's hero live in oblivion, can we?" _Seifer said sarcastically, getting up from the chair.

- _"Do I sense some bitterness there?" _Quistis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Seifer was already at the door. Not turning around, he spoke.

- _"It's only typical, you know… Fuck it… Forget I said anything…" _he said, closing the door behind him.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Man, that geezer pissed me off!" _Zell groaned, walking down the stairs of Mayor Dobe's, FH's mayor, house _"Squall, why didn't you tell him off?!"_

- _"Forget it. You can't expect everyone to welcome us." _Squall said.__

            The two of them, accompanied by Rinoa, walked down the small Square in from of the mayor's house, heading back to Garden.

- _"Galbadian soldiers!!!" _

            All three turned around abruptly, facing the man who had just come running. Mayor Dobe and his wife, Flo, soon came out of their house, looking distraught. 

- _"Mayor, we have a big problem! The Galbadians are coming!" _the man spoke worriedly, addressing Dobe.

- _"Galbadians? Are they armed?" _asked the mayor.

- _"It must be some kind of mistake." _Flo said.

- _"They arrived at the station. They were armed, big-time." _the man replied.

- _"Let's not panic." _said Dobe firmly _"President Deling and I are acquaintances. I'll go talk to them and work things out."_

- _"President Deling is dead. Galbadia is now ruled by the Sorceress." _Squall piped in.

- _"A Sorceress is still a person. I'm sure we can reach an understanding. Right?" _Flo said, her eyes hoping for a positive answer **_'How the hell should I know?' _**Squall thought, beginning to walk away.

            His comrades followed him, as he walked up the long stairway, leading back to town. They had just reached the top of the stairway, when Flo caught up with them.

- _"Wait! The Galbadians are here because of you, right? They're after you." _she said **_'Maybe.' _**Squall thought _"You'd better take full responsibility! It's your fault!"_

            Squall sighed and turned around **_'Fine, we'll take care of them. I don't like the sound of her tone though.' _**he thought. Right on cue, mayor Dobe came walking up the stairs.

- _"We mustn't rely on them. They won't be able to do anything without fighting." _he said **_'Don't tell me he's going to try to reason with them.' _**thought Squall. Next to him, Zell shook with rage, and Rinoa frowned _"I'll go talk to them."_ mayor Dobe said **_'He's dead.' _**thought Squall.

            Mayor Dobe began walking away, towards the station, they eyes of everyone locked upon him. Squall turned and looked at Rinoa, who pleaded him visibly to go after the mayor. Glancing over at Zell, he saw the blond give him a plain shrug. Squall sighed.

- _"Come on." _he said, beckoning the two to follow him.

            Striding down the streets of FH, Squall stopped a red-haired girl that came across them.

- _"Excuse me, where is the station?" _he asked.

- _"Just keep going straight," _said the girl, pointing at the street behind her _"And you'll run into it."_

- _"Thanks." _said Zell, grinning at the girl.

            Rinoa rolled her eyes and walked forward, down the street the girl had shown them. Upon reaching a turn, the three teenagers ducked out of sight, spotting the mayor conversing with a Galbadian soldier **_'There he is.' _**thought Squall.

- _"It kills me to help that old fart…" _Zell growled.

            **_'Why are they wasting their time with the old man if they're after us and our Garden?' _**thought the brown-haired SeeD **_'I wonder what they're talking about…'_**

- _"I already **told** you." _mayor Dobe spoke _"I've never heard of this girl Ellone. There is nobody here by that name."_

- _"Ellone?" _Rinoa whispered, voicing Squall's thoughts.

- _"Fine. We'll just have to torch this city." _the Galbadian told Dobe.

- _"Wait a minute! I'm telling the truth! I've never seen this girl!" _Dobe exclaimed.

- _"It doesn't matter, old man. We're gonna burn down this place anyway; Edea's orders." _the Galbadian said, smirking.

- _"No, please!" _Dobe pleaded _"I beg of you! Don't!"_

- _"I'll start with you." _the Galbadian said, picking Dobe up from the front of his shirt.

            **_'*Sigh* Maybe we'd better go now.' _**Squall thought, resentfully. Making a sharp move with his head, he pointed down at the city square.

- _"Alright, let's get it on!" _Zell said excitedly, springing up, running down to the square.

            Squall and Rinoa followed suit right behind him. The Galbadian had raised his sword and was about to finish off Dobe, when he noticed them approaching.

- _"Who the hell are **you**?" _he asked sarcastically.

- _"We're SeeDs."_ Squall replied, crossing his arms.

- _"SeeDs!" _the soldier exclaimed, throwing Dobe to the side _"Get the Iron Clad over here!" _he yelled to the bridge behind him.

- _"I'm sorry, but we have no choice." _Squall addressed Dobe.

            He drew out his gunblade, preparing for battle, as two more soldiers joined the one before them. Rinoa and Zell stood in battle positions, determined to support Squall to the fullest.

- _"You take the other two. I'll take care of the middle one…" _Squall muttered to his peers.

- _"Leave it to us." _said Zell, smirking widely, while Rinoa gave a firm nod.

            The young girl was the first to lunge forward to her opponent, pulling the trigger of her Rising Sun. The detachable part flew right out of the crossbow-like weapon, hitting the Galbadia soldier right on the forehead. The man staggered a bit as Rinoa raised her equipped arm up in the air, recapturing the small disk that had just soared across the air. 

            Meanwhile, Zell's opponent rushed right to him, swinging his sword threateningly. The blond remained in his position, as calm as a Shumi Master. The soldier took a deadly blow with his weapon at Zell. The martial artist ducked in time and jumped up in the air, swinging his body and kicking the man's sword off his hands with incredible ease. Not losing time, grinning at the man's utterly bemused expression, he locked the latter's head into a tight grip and began punching him mercilessly on the face.  

            A pair of swords clattered in mid-air, as Squall and the official engaged into their own conflict. The young SeeD gripped his Flame Saber with both hands tightly, in front of his face as the Galbadian lowered his sword down at him. Sparks flew and both men seemed anything but eager to let go. Grunting, Squall chose the trickier approach, laying a hard kick on the man's stomach, pushing him a good four feet backwards. The soldier advanced on him again immediately, swinging his weapon in the air once more. Squall took a step to the right and met his opponent's sword with his own, bringing them both down to touch the concrete ground. 

            Rinoa was keeping her own rival at bay with a quite effective Thunder spell, while Zell's foe was seconds from passing out, when a loud rumbling sound was heard. Rinoa and Squall's enemies immediately seized the chance and fled with a sprint. Puzzled, Zell unconsciously let the man under his grip escape. The third followed the other two, back towards the bridge, where the three teenagers where now looking towards.

- _"Something's coming…" _Rinoa mumbled.

            From the bridge ahead of them, a gargantuan piece of heavy machinery could be seen approaching. The blue tank-like vehicle, seemed somewhat tattered and disheveled, but Squall was ready to bet on anything that it could still perform its job perfectly.  

- _"We got a big one in our hands!" _Zell exclaimed, as the machine landed in front of them, causing a minor earthquake to the vicinity.

            **_'An Iron Clad… Galbadia's latest weapon.' _**Squall thought **_'Well… Better get through with this quickly…'_**

            The machine hummed and screeched with its mechanical 'voice'. All three mercenaries held their breaths as the four engines on the top of the machine smoked and rumbled loudly. Squall noticed that there seemed to be two of them missing. As he'd detected moments ago, the contraption seemed fairly damaged from prior battles.

- _"Machines are weak against Thunder!" _Squall informed both his opponents, readying his gunblade _"And try out Earth spells as well, they weaken their stability!"_

            Immediately, Rinoa prepared a spell. It was not what Squall had expected though. She extended her palm and called out:

- _"Triple!"_

            A bluish aura enveloped the young girl enhancing her abilities, so that she could use three spells at once instead of just one, without running the danger of any exhaustion from too much casting. Squall shot her a side-ways glance **_'Where the hell did she get Triples?' _**Squall thought. 

            Meanwhile, the machine seemed ready to start attacking. Zell stalled it a bit with a Thundara spell, which seemed to distort it a bit. Beginning to feel quite nervous, Squall yelled.

- _"Cast Triple on all of us!"_ he said.

- _"Not yet…" _Rinoa spoke, a sinister smile spreading on her lips. 

- _"Wha-?" _Squall was about to yell back, when…

- _"Protect, Protect, Protect!" _Rinoa called, extending her arm once more.

            Three blue 'light-disks' began to form in front of the teenagers. Gradually, they spread and spread, becoming thin, almost transparent shields, which would miraculously keep them protected, as the spell's incantation suggested, from a few rounds of physical attacks. Right on cue, the tank raised a mechanical 'arm' and shot a round of bullets to Zell. The blond winced at first, and instinctively brought his arm before his face, but the bullets bounced right of the shield, which's color intensified with every hit. Squall's eyes widened in surprise for Rinoa's insightful idea and turned to her side. He saw her giggling and beaming at him, obviously quite proud of herself. Squall cracked a grin as well and mouth 'Good' at her.

- _"Alright, good move! You two keep it occupied while I summon Quetzalcoatl!" _Squall called, turning back to his front.

            Instantly, he closed his eyes and touched his forehead, falling into deep concentration.

- _"Quake!" _Zell called, extending his arm towards the machine.

            A small barrier formed itself around the three peers at first, translucent and strong, keeping them intact from the effect the spell was about to take. The ground around great the see-through 'bubble' began to shake fiercely. The tremor began to shake the tank, rendering it incompetent to move forward or backward, right before great masses of earth began to protrude and retract viciously, toying the grand machine into earthy 'fingers' as if it were nothing but a feather. The spell soon faded out and settled the contraption back to the disheveled ground, forbidding it to move properly. Right then, one of the four remaining engines on the top of it, blew up, sending mechanical bits and pieces flying all over the place. Retaliating, the apparatus raised one of its other mechanical 'arms' pointing it towards Rinoa. A thick, bright, yellowish beam spewed out of it, heading right for her, but once again got bounced off the strong shield around her. Unfortunately, the protect spell seemed to be visibly wearing off after such a strong attack. It was more than obvious that it would probably not survive another one.

            Meanwhile, Squall was still concentrating hard. Summoning a Guardian Force was no easy task and demanded a strong 'attachment' to one's ally, something which Squall and Quetzalcoatl had yet to achieve.

            **_'Quetzalcoatl… I summon you, asking for your help in this dire situation…'_**

****

****

_                        Your wish is my command, master._

Squall's eyes opened up in astonishment, as a tingling sensation ran all over his body; it was the first time his GF had chosen to speak to him. He gasped for breath, as he felt a great surge of energy abandon his body and take form before his very eyes. The great God of Thunder, the Bird of the Thunderstorm began to evolve from the greenish-yellow sphere of electricity in front of him. Quetzalcoatl rose gloriously in mid-air, hovering above the metal-beast. The GF flapped its wings in violent, but somehow fluid motion, as the skies began to get grayer by the moment. Thunders slashed the air and started to concentrate on Quetzalcoatl's beak like water drawn to a sponge. Eventually, the grand bird released the flurry of electrical energy that had gathered within it, striking the tank with incredible might. 

            The machine shook and sizzled greatly, apparently quite damaged, as Quetzalcoatl retracted back within his master's body. The three teenagers watched another engine blow up impressively. Momentarily, all three thought it was going to blow up as it began convulsing non-stop, but the machine suddenly moved backwards and fell into the ocean behind it with a grand splash. Squall sighed in relief and ran a gloved hand over his sweaty forehead. Zell shouted victoriously and began performing his now infamous 'victory-dance', while Rinoa squealed in delight.

            But the sight the three mercenaries came to witness right then, easily exceeded their wildest dreams.

            From the pier under which the machine had disappeared, two young people climbed out. One of them, dressed in a tiny yellow dress, and the other, in what was unmistakably the attire of a cowboy. 

- _"Squall!"_ Selphie squealed.

            The brown-haired SeeD looked in awe, as Selphie and Irvine approached them, safe and sound. He felt a surge of incredible relief and joy to see them both alive; he'd been afraid he'd sentenced them both to death once allowing them to go to the Galbadian Missile base **_'Yes! They're alright!'_**

- _"Hey, Selphie. __Irvine__. It's great to see you guys." _he said plainly, once the two approached them.

- _"Say, what happened to the Garden?" _asked Irvine **_'A lot has happened…' _**Squall thought.

- _"The Garden is safe." _he replied.

- _"Really?!!! Whoo-hoo!!!" _Selphie exclaimed, hopping up and down.

- _"What happened to you guys?" _Squall asked them, crossing his arms.

- _"Yo, let's talk about that later." _Zell piped in **_'…I guess.' _**Squall thought.

- _"Zell, Rinoa, why don't you take them back to Garden? I'll see you guys later, after I take a look around." _he said.

- _"Heyyy! What about Seifer and Instructor Trepe?" _Selphie asked worriedly.

- _"They're both back and safe. You'll see them back in Garden." _Squall replied.

            Selphie cheered once more and slipped her hand over Rinoa's shoulder, just like the raven-haired girl did, and began chatting vigorously. Turning around for a second, Rinoa noticed Squall looking around the city square, walking casually back towards the station and back to the main city. She excused herself for a second and sprinted over to him.

- _"Squall!" _she called.

            The latter turned around, arching an eyebrow as Rinoa approached him.

- _"Yes?" _he asked.

- _"You know, you just surprised __me__.__" _she said, smiling broadly _"You looked and sounded so happy to see them." _she added **_'Huh?' _**Squall thought _"It was the first time I've seen you so honest. It was… really sweet."_

            Squall looked away and scratched the ground with the bottom of his boots nervously **_'Well… um…'_**

****

****

- _"I was happy to see that they were alright." _replied Squall, shrugging _"What's so surprising about that? Is there something wrong?" _he asked, frowning.

- _"No! There's nothing wrong!" _ Rinoa hurried to say _"They're your comrades, but moreover, they're your friends." _she added **_'…Friends, huh…?' _**Squall thought _"Hey Squall," _Rinoa went on _"Would you have been worried about me, too? Y'know, if I were with them instead?"_

            Squall froze still for a second and moved his gaze away from her once more **_'What? Why is she asking me this? I don't know.'_**

****

****

- _"I… ahh… I don't know." _he stuttered, shrugging feebly _"Umm… maybe… I don't know."_

- _"Oh my gosh!" _squealed Rinoa, grinning from ear to ear _"You're turning red!"_

            Squall's head snapped up **_'What…? No I'm not.'_**

****

****

- _"You're so cute! Taking it seriously!" _Rinoa went on, giggling.

            **_'The heck?!'_******Squall thought, narrowing his eyes **_'Why is she toying with me?'_**

****

****

- _"Catch you later, Squall!" _Rinoa said, winking at him, sprinting away to catch up with the others.

            **_'What the hell's her problem?' _**Squall thought, kicking a stone with his boot away.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer wiped his damp hair clean with a bathroom towel, while buttoning up his jeans. His usual attire, was now in serious need of a good wash. Last time he'd checked, a small colony of fungi had finally succeeded in making its way onto his favorite coat. A few days on a relentless journey from Timber, to Deling, to prison, to G-Garden, Timber and back to FH could do that to a piece of clothing. And although Iris back from Timber had been kind enough to allow him to take a shower at her house, he desperately felt he needed another one. As he slipped on a plain black T-Shirt, sporting a white smilie in front and the logo 'Have a nice day. Fuck someone.' in the back, he felt his stomach rumble ferociously. Pulling the hem of the T-shirt down, he ran the towel once more through his hair and decided to go grab something to eat. He slid his key-card and wallet into the back pockets of his loose-fitting jeans and was about to exit his room, when a thought crossed his mind. He walked over to his nightstand and picked up the receiver of his phone, dialing a number. 

- _"Hello?"_

- _"Hungry, Instructor?" _Seifer asked.__

- _"Seifer?" _Quistis asked, somewhat puzzled.__

- _"Yup." _Seifer replied _"I was just about to go grab something to eat and thought you might be hungry, too. Want me to bring you anything?" _he asked.__

- _"Oh." _Quistis said plainly, clearly taken aback by his gesture _"I wouldn't want to put you in all this trouble…"_

- _"Just name it…" _Seifer said, sighing impatiently.__

- _"Umm… A salad, some bread and a soda would be fine." _she replied.__

- _"OK. I'll be there in a bit."_

- _"…Thank you." _Quistis said, in a genuinely kind tone.__

- _"Don't flatter yourself. I just can't stand the picture of you limping all the way to the cafeteria. Although I must say, it would be quite the amusing sigh-"_

**                                                                                                                                                    SLAM!**

            Seifer chuckled and put the receiver back in place. He was tempted to spit a large loogie into her soda for daring to hang up on him…

- _"Nah…" _he mumbled out loud, the door sliding shut behind him as he left the room.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"…So then we go like 'WHOA!' And the missiles are headin' right for us!" _Zell narrated to Selphie and Irvine, as they walked back inside Garden _"But the place must have some sorta shield cast around it! So the missiles bounce right off!" _

- _"That must've been scary…" _Selphie said, smiling somewhat sadly at Zell; she was still not over the bombing of Trabia.__

- _"Yeah!" _Zell went on _"And then-"_

- _"Hey, isn't that Seifer?" _Irvine asked, pointing at a tall figure, exiting the cafeteria.__

- _"Yup, that's him." _Rinoa said _"Seifer!" _she called.__

            The blond turned around, trying to see who was calling him. He didn't need to search for long though; Selphie's frantically moving limbs caught his attention in a heartbeat. Grinning mildly, feeling somewhat relieved to see her **and** the cowboy both safe, he stood still waiting for them to catch up with him. Suddenly, he became very aware of the small plastic bag he was carrying, filled with lunch **_'Shit!' _**he cursed inwardly **_'I can't let them know that-'_**

- _"We're back!" _Selphie chirped, hopping her way over to Seifer.

- _"Welcome back, then." _Seifer said, smirking.

- _"We heard that you and Quistis Trepe came back safely, too." _Irvine said _"Everything went OK?" _

- _"Meh… Piece of cake…" _Seifer said smugly, shrugging.

- _"Where is she? We wanted to see her!" _Selphie asked Seifer.

- _"She's at her dorm." _Seifer said, hoping they'd prefer to pay her a visit later on.

- _"Swell! Can you take us there?" _Selphie asked.

- _"Erm… Now?" _Seifer asked, grinning awkwardly.

- _"Well of course **now**, dummy!" _Selphie giggled **_'Son-of-a…'_** Seifer chewed the interior of his cheek.

- _"…OK." _he agreed, half-heartedly.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis was lying on her bed, skimming through an old booklet she'd forgotten she even owned. She rubbed her protesting stomach with one palm, thinking that Seifer should be there soon enough, with her lunch. She groaned. Why had she even agreed to this? It was obvious the guy only wanted to get a rise out of her… She checked her watch. He was quite late. At this hour, the cafeteria never had a long line awaiting behind the counters. Maybe he'd just been messing her… Just wanting to tease her and wasn't intending on bringing her lunch over… She scoffed. It wouldn't surprise her… 

            Back to reading… 

_            With my aversion to this cat, however, its partiality for myself seemed to increase. It followed my footstep with a pertinacity which it would be difficult to make the reader comprehend. Whenever I sat, it would crouch beneath my chair, or spring upon my knees, covering me with its loathsome caresses. If I arose to walk it would get between my feet and thus nearly throw me down, or, fastening its long and sharp claws in my dress, clamber, in this manner, to my breast. At such time, although I longed to destroy it with a blow, I was yet-_

                                                                                                                                             *Knock* *Knock*

            **_'About stinking time…' _**Quistis thought, getting up from bed. Removing her glasses and fastening the belt of her deep blue robe, she slowly walked over to the door. 

- _"What took you s-?"_ she began, but was greeted with more company than she'd expected.

- _"Surprise!" _

- _"Oh my Hyne!" _Quistis exclaimed, grasping her chest with one palm in disbelief. 

            In front of her, stood a grinning Zell and Rinoa, a strangely brooding Seifer, an overly excited Selphie and someone she didn't recognize.

- _"You're safe! I'm so happy to see you again, Miss Trepe!" _Selphie said excitedly.

- _"Will everyone stop calling me that?" _Quistis said smiling _"It's just Quistis. Come on in." _she beckoned everyone to enter her room.

            Zell, Rinoa and Selphie looked around Quistis's room curiously, while Irvine studied the blonde thoroughly, touching his chin. Seifer arched an eyebrow and walked over to her bed. He dropped the bag onto her bed and grabbed the book that was on it.

- _"Early edition of 'The Black Cat'?!" _he exclaimed _"Where the fuck did you get that?!" _he asked her, eyes wide open.

- _"Since you asked so nicely, you can borrow it…" _Quistis spat at him sarcastically, grabbing the bag he'd abandoned on her bed _"Oh, you got me lemonade. That's my favorite, thanks…" _she said smiling and set the bag on the table.

            Seifer snapped the booklet shut and bit his tongue **_'DAMMIT!' _**He saw Selphie across him arch both eyebrows and grin.

- _"Zip it!" _Seifer hissed at her ominously.

- _"Oh dear, where are my manners?" _Quistis said suddenly, turning over to Irvine _"You've been here for so long and we haven't been introduced! I'm Quistis Trepe."_

            She extended her arm for him to shake, smiling politely. To her surprise, the man didn't shake it, but held it reverently with both palms, as if holding the most delicate flower in the world and bowed, bringing his lips near it. He looked at her in the eyes, and spoke.

- _"__Irvine__. __Irvine__ Kinneas." _he said in a smooth, deep voice, kissing her hand ever-so-softly _"Charmed." _Quistis's eyebrows cocked upwards in surprise.

            If it was possible, fumes would be coming out of Seifer's ears at this very moment. He was clenching his fists so hard, that his knuckles had turned white and threatened to smash to shards any minute now. Oh the cowboy was** soooo** dead…Letting out a flurry of curses -which would have even made Larry Flint blush- inwardly, Seifer walked over to the desk where Quistis had rested the bag and took out her lunch.

- _"Umm… Anyway…" _said Quistis, grinning awkwardly, slipping her hand off Irvine's grasp _"Why don't you all have a seat and tell me what happ- Seifer, aren't you staying?" _she asked, watching the blond walk over to the door.

- _"Nah, I've got plans with Fujin and Raijin. They haven't seen me at all ever since I got back." _Seifer said, trying to sound indifferent _"I left your lunch over at the table."_

- _"Uhh, OK. Thank you." _Quistis said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

            Seifer left the room with a nod to everyone. He walked down the corridor faking nonchalance until he was a safe distance away. Suddenly, he turned to the side and gave a hard kick with the metal clasp of his boot onto the perfectly innocent wall.

- _"**FUCK!**"_

* * *

**A/N:** I dunno why, but my fav scene in this chapter was Cid, about to leave Quistis's dorm, telling them about Edea, his wife. I always thought of him as one of the most dramatic characters of the game. And he seems like such a nice, Robin Williams look-alike, kind man… 

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_A surprise two of our male heroes, when they're summoned up to the Headmaster's office…_

_More of Seifer's 'tormenting' dreams… ^_~_

_And………_

_FIRST GUEST STARRING APPEARANCE OF: The Trepies!_


	21. Chapter 20: Embarking on a long journey

**A/N:** Song that's making my spirits go up these days? **_Divine_** by **KoRn**. Anyone who knows what the song is about will understand ^_~

Aaaaanyway… First appearance of the Trepies for the fic, although they do nothing… **yet**.

Barbie is property of Matel (erm… I think…). Not mine, either way. 

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and Quistis return to Garden safe and sound and reunite with all their friends._

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                         **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                         By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                             Chapter 20: Embarking on a long journey **

* * *

* * *

 __

            It seemed like it was going to rain today.

            Grey clouds darkened the skies and ominous thunders could be heard from afar.

            Strange.

            The sky had been very clear during the previous hours of the day.  

            Cid's thoughts traveled to his wife. He couldn't remember the last moment they'd spent together... Ever since she mysteriously went hungry for power and decided to become the world's enemy, he couldn't recognize her anymore... What had happened to the beautiful, kind and caring woman he once knew and loved? What had happened to the woman who would lay by his side on their bed at nights, sweetly asking him if he remembered the way they'd first met.

            And how could he forget?

            How could he possibly forget the first time her amber eyes fell upon him, as she wet her feet by the shores of Obel lake, tossing stones onto the surface…

            He was tired.

            Tired of pretending everything would eventually work out, tired of pretending that he put his duty above everything else.

            Even above the woman of his life.

            He couldn't do it. It was too painful. He hated himself for admitting this, but he needed to place the responsibility upon someone else's shoulders. So that he could go on living without guilt. 

            Guilt for ordering the assassination of the most important person in his life.

            It would be someone else's decision. Not his. 

            A knock on the door made him jolt up slightly. Regaining his cool, he sighed deeply and spoke.

- _"Come in."_ he said.

            The door opened, revealing Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy standing behind it. The two young men saluted their Headmaster and stood at attention in front of his desk. Cid turned around and faced them.

- _"At ease, men."_ he said _"Please take a seat."_

            Seifer and Squall did so and looked at Cid eagerly, waiting to hear what he'd called them up to his office for.

- _"I asked for the attendance of both of you, due to a very important matter that has risen and needs immediate attention."_ he began.

- _"We're listening sir."_ said Squall.

- _"This Garden was founded many years ago…" _Cid spoke, looking outside the window _"Decades ago…"_

            **_'Aw crap…' _**Seifer thought **_'He's not gonna go lecturing us about Garden principles and all that shit, is he?'_**

- _"When it all begun I wasn't the Headmaster, you know…" _Cid went on _"NORG was both Master and Headmaster of this Garden. I was the Commander of Balamb's SeeDs."_

_            **'Odd… I never thought Cid was a fighter in his younger years…' **_Squall said to himself.

- _"A few years later, just after the first Sorceress War… You **are** familiar with the event…?" _asked Cid, although it sounded much more like a statement.

- _"Yeah, you're talkin' about that other Sorceress some guy from Esthar knocked out, right?" _replied Seifer.

- _"The current President of Esthar trapped Sorceress Adel, thus ending the days of her tyrannical reign." _Squall said matter-of-factly, earning a glare and a cocked eyebrow from his blond peer.

            **_'Fucking show-off…' _**Seifer thought.

- _"Yes, that is correct. Anyway… After the First Sorceress War, Edea suggested that I become the Headmaster. I discussed the idea with NORG. He wasn't all that pleased about it, but finally agreed." _spoke Cid _"So ever since then, I've been both the Headmaster and Commander of __Balamb__Garden__. After that War however, no opportunity has yet risen for me to use my title as a Commander." _Cid went on _"So, it's only natural that after all these years of… limited action, I've sort of lost my edge as a warrior." _

            Cid chuckled at his last statement, a somewhat melancholic laughter, Squall noticed. 

- _*Sigh* As you can both see, I'm getting too old for this position…"_ he said. Seifer and Squall stirred in their seats. What was Cid saying? _"I can still handle being the Headmaster; it's only paperwork. But there are other tasks that are out of my hand…"_

- _"Such as?"_ asked Seifer, raising an eyebrow.

- _"I'll get to that…"_ said Cid _"First, I'd like to talk to you about a few other things… Squall."_ he added, looking at the brown-haired boy first _"You did an excellent job in leading the team that saved Garden from the missiles. You displayed once again your composure when it comes to crucial matters and your outstanding leadership qualities."_

- _"Thank you, sir."_ Squall said modestly.

- _"Seifer,"_ Cid began, turning over to the blond this time _"You did the most foolish thing you've ever done in **all** your years in Garden."_ Seifer sat up straight. That couldn't be good_…"You ran off all by yourself to help Quistis, endangering both yourself and her at the same time. You had a fair chance of getting caught, **both** of you, and could have been seriously hurt, if not executed."_

- _"Sir, I-"_ Seifer tried to say, but Cid interrupted him.

- _"I'm not quite finished yet."_ he said _"What you did, was one of the most stupid deeds I've ever seen anyone perform,"_ Seifer swallowed hard _"However, it was also one of the most heroic at the same time."_

- _"Huh?"_ Seifer said flabbergasted. He couldn't have heard right…

- _"Hence, I think it's only fitting that I congratulate both of you. You're among the best fighters Garden has ever had, and without any doubt the most appropriate successors for one of my positions."_ said Cid. Squall and Seifer looked at each other _"I hereby name you both, the new Commanders of __Balamb__Garden__'s SeeDs."_

            Both young men froze in their positions.

- _"What?"_ Seifer mumbled, breaking the awkward silence.

- _"You heard me. The two of you are now Commanders of this Garden."_ replied Cid _"You're both destined for this position…"_

            Seifer's mind took quite a while to process what Cid had uttered. His heart made a steep jump to his stomach and up to its right place again. He felt like he'd finally managed to make one of his deepest desires come true. Glory. And recognition. Hyne knew how much he craved for both and now he had finally made it. If he knew beforehand what Cid was going to talk to them about, he would have guessed that he would only make Squall a Commander. But for once, **someone** viewed him as an equal to his lifelong antagonist **_'Heh… It's either that, or Cid was afraid of my reaction if he only made Puberty-Boy a Commander…'_** he thought, grinning slightly. He then cocked an eyebrow and fell in deep thought…

            On the other hand, Squall felt anger welling up inside him **_'What does he mean 'destined'?! It's not like it was decided since we were born… Did he even consider ASKING if we want all this responsibility over our heads? *Scoff* Seifer's probably bursting with pride right now. I can't expect him to take this seriously anyway… He'll just abuse the authority foolishly given to him…' _**he thought.****

- _"But, sir," _said Squall eventually_ "BOTH of us?"_ he asked.

- _"Yes, that **is** something quite unusual, but I chose both for the following simple reason: You Squall, will keep Seifer in check and make sure he doesn't take any rash decisions." _replied Cid, arching an eyebrow at Seifer. Seifer frowned a bit_ "You're the most… logical counterpart. However, sometimes, difficult measures demand bold decisions. I'm afraid your dedication to the position of SeeD sometimes clouds your determination, Squall. But as it has already been proven, Seifer has no such hesitations. And that's why he's the other man. Understood?"_ asked Cid.

- _"Understood…" _said both men in unison, although still utterly bewildered by what they'd just heard.

- _"Good. You shall be starting up first thing tomorrow morning. Your office will be the one right across mine. Be there at 0800 hours sharp. I expect a speech from both of you, concerning your new duties, for the entire student body. Dismissed."_ said Cid.

-

            Seifer and Squall got up from their seats, saluted Cid and left the office. Once outside, Seifer closed the door behind him and looked at Squall.

- _"So…"_ he said.

- _"So…"_ said Squall.

- _"Now we have to actually work together?"_ Seifer said raising an eyebrow.

- _"Unfortunately… yes."_ replied Squall, crossing his arms, looking away.

- _"*Scoff* Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow at 'work' Commander Puberty…"_ said Seifer chuckling and walked towards the elevator.

            Squall eyed him poisonously and shook his head in disbelief **_'That's it…Cid has officially gone nuts. And now I have to co-exist with Commander Asshole…'_** he thought.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer made his way towards the dorms. The thought of becoming a Commander for Garden had still not quite sank in… It wasn't something to be taken lightly. It meant that he was now responsible for any action taken by Garden. Every mission, every operation… Every decision. He wondered how everyone would take it. He had no doubt that they'd be ecstatic over the idea of Squall being a Commander, but him… It wouldn't surprise him if they started some sort of riot, demanding his backing off. 

            He scoffed.

            **_'At least the money will be good.'_**

****

            Grinning, he knocked on the door before him.

            Raijin opened up, Fujin standing right behind him.

- _"I've got news…" _

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"He **WHAT**?!" _Zell yelled, banging his fist against the table.

- _"Zell, calm down…" _Rinoa mumbled.

- _"No I will **NOT** calm down! Is Cid out of his frickin' **mind**?!" _Zell shouted.

            By now, every head inside the cafeteria had turned towards their table. 

            After Irvine and Zell had caught up with Squall in the corridors, they'd insisted that he joined them for lunch in the cafeteria. Rinoa and Selphie were there as well. After much hesitation, Squall agreed to spend some time with them. During the middle of idle conversation, Squall blurted out the news. And the rest, was history…

- _"Man, I can't believe this!" _Zell growled, falling unceremoniously onto his chair _"I mean… no offense Rinoa, 'cause he was your boyfriend and all, but-"_

- _"Seifer is Rinoa's ex?!" _Irvine exclaimed, astonished.

- _"Yes." _Rinoa replied meekly.

- _"Whoo! Talk about love triangles in this Garden…"_ said Irvine grinning, throwing a side-ways glance at Squall.

Squall arched an eyebrow and glared at Irvine. The latter swallowed audibly and decided to change the subject of conversation.

- _"A-a-a-anyway…" _he stuttered _"What's with those geeks over by that table going all 'conspiracy-like'?" _he asked, pointing at a table not too far from them.

            Everyone turned around to see who Irvine was talking about. Their eyes fell upon a small group of people, talking in a secretive manner, discussing about what looked like pink fliers.

- _"Ohhh… Trepies."_ Zell said grinning, turning his gaze back to the table.

- _"'Trepies'?" _Irvine asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about this, too. What are Trepies?" _asked Rinoa.

- _"You know Quistis's last name, right?" _asked Zell.

- _"Yeah. Quistis… Trepe." _Irvine said, getting a hint of what was to follow.

- _"Exactly. Trepies, are her fan club." _Zell spoke.

- _"Quistis has a **fan club**?" _Rinoa asked, dumbfounded.

- _"Yup. Created by some psychos who worship her." _Zell replied, grinning cheekily.

- _"That's rich…" _said Irvine, chuckling _"So what do they do?"_

- _"From what I've figured for the short time I've been here…" _said Selphie _"Practically follow her around everywhere she goes, offer to carry her stuff, rush in line to buy her lunch, keep telling her how wonderful she is…"_

- _"Stalkers, in a nutshell."_ Squall piped in.

- _"Hyne, isn't Quistis scared of all that?!" _asked Rinoa.

- _"Pissed, yes. Afraid, no." _replied Zell _"They're harmless. Not your regular kind of stalkers. They've got the whole package without the creepy, schizophrenic will to do her harm if she doesn't pay them any attention." _

- _"Except for…" _said Selphie meaningfully.

- _"You **know **about that?!" _Zell asked Selphie, surprised.

- _"Know about what?"_ asked Irvine and Rinoa in unison.

- _"Wimbly Donner." _Squall spoke laconically.

- _"Who's he?" _asked Irvine.

- _"He was the Garden Festival coordinator before Selphie came here." _explained Zell _"If you check the Garden terminals under the page of the Garden Festival, you'll see this announcement he put up before leaving. He claimed it was because the Festival was a failure, which was partly true, but that was not all…"_

- _"Don't tell me he was…" _Irvine began.

- _"A Trepie…?" _Rinoa finished for him.

- _"He was actually the **first** Trepie. The one who started it all…" _said Zell matter-of-factly.

- _"Rumor has it that he was **so** obsessed with Quistis, that he once broke into her room to… y'know…" _Selphie said.

- _"Dear Hyne!" _Rinoa exclaimed.

- _"He didn't… hurt her, did he?" _Irvine asked, frowning.

- _"Let's just say that the guy might have trouble reproducing for the rest of his life…" _Zell replied, grinning.

- _"Seriously?!" _Irvine exclaimed, chuckling _"Quistis whooped him raw then, eh?"_

- _"Actually, although she hit him pretty bad, I heard that he got the **real** beating when the whole thing became known. No-one knows who did it, but he left with two black eyes, a fat lip, both legs and an arm in cast…" _Zell replied, shuddering.

- _"Probably the rest of the Trepies." _Rinoa suggested.

- _"Yeah, that would be my guess, too." _Zell said.

- _"Anyway…Naturally, he was expelled after that incident." _added Selphie _"They tried to hush it all up, hence that announcement, but almost everyone knows what really happened."_

- _"Dude, you got some serious fruitcakes running around this place…" _Irvine said.

- _"Tell me about it…" _agreed Rinoa _"Erm… Things like that haven't happened to other girls here, right?" _she asked, looking apprehensive.

- _"Why, afraid any 'Heartilies' might pop up soon?" _asked Squall.

            Rinoa seemed quite taken aback by his intervention and the nature of his comment. She looked quite offended, and Squall was about to mutter an apology, when he noticed the grin now slowly creeping up her lips. A grin that quickly turned into giggle, giggle turned into laughter, then to full-blown hystericals, as the rest joined her as well **_'Geez, it wasn't _that _funny…' _**Squall though, grinning awkwardly and somewhat wryly. Apparently, it was the fact that Squall had even uttered a comment like this that brought up this kind of reaction from the others. Either way, he was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable and besides, he had been right on his way to his room before Irvine and Zell dragged him over to the cafeteria, insisting that he 'hung out' with them.

- _"I think that'll be all for me on the gossiping department." _Squall said getting up, when the laughter had died down _"I'm going to my room."_

- _"Aw, stay some more!" _Selphie complained _"We were just about to go order some lunch!"_

- _"I'm not that hungry. See ya." _Squall mumbled, walking away from their table.

            Four pairs of eyes followed him out of the room, where he bumped onto Seifer and his posse, then turning back to each other.

- _"That guy **really** needs to lighten up…" _Irvine commented, shaking his head in disbelief _"Anyway, I'm goin' to get something to eat. Anyone want anything?" _he asked.

- _"Oh yes! A salad with extra dressing and a bun for me, thanks." _said Rinoa.

- _"A cheeseburger for me!"_ Selphie said, smiling sweetly at Irvine.

- _"If you're lucky enough, six hotdogs will do. Otherwise get me some burgers too or something…"_ said Zell.

- _"Sheesh, I was only trying to sound nice…" _said Irvine, getting up from the table.

            **_'SIX hotdogs?!' _**the cowboy thought, shaking his head in disbelief. Thankfully, the line wasn't particularly long, so he wouldn't have to wait forever.

            The last person on the line was Seifer.

- _"Hi." _said Irvine. Seifer turned around.

- _"Hi." _he replied, turning his gaze back forward.

            Irvine looked around bored, until a bright yellow leaflet stuck onto the wall on the other side caught his attention.

- _"Hey," _he said, nudging Seifer _"What's that leaflet over there?"_ he asked, trying to make idle conversation.

- _"Dunno, don't care." _replied Seifer, after throwing it a quick glance _"Maybe more Garden Festival shit."_

- _"Hey! Selphie's in charge of that, you know…" _said Irvine matter-of-factly, sounding a bit offended.

- _"I never said Selphie's shit. Just the damned Festival…" _said Seifer, shrugging.

            Irvine's gaze traveled around a bit more, waiting for the line to clear out, when a thought crossed his mind.

- _"Hey." _he said, nudging Seifer again. The blond groaned.

- _"What?" _he asked impatiently.

- _"You've been here for long, right?" _Irvine asked.

- _"Yes…?"_

- _"So you know about the previous guy who was in charge of the Festival?" _asked Irvine.

- _"Yes, why?" _Seifer asked, frowning.

- _"We were just talking with the others and they told me that dickhead made a… move, on Quistis. Is that true?" _he whispered.

- _"Yes." _replied Seifer, frowning even more.

- _"Heard he got a big ass-whoopin' before he left…" _Irvine said, sniggering _"Know who did it?"_

- _"No…" _replied Seifer, smirking _"But let's just say" _he went on, eyes locking onto a figure who entered the cafeteria _"That the motherfucker got what he deserved…" _he finished, voice deep and sinister.

            Irvine arched both eyebrows, turning to look at Quistis who had just entered. Seifer had already turned around, ordering his meal. Irvine looked at him, narrowing his eyes and grinned.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis made her way down the corridor leading to the cafeteria. Many heads turned as she strolled down, wishing her a good day, receiving a warm smile and a nod in reciprocation, while others just studied her figure as she walked. She was really flattered by all this attention when it was manifested at first, but soon grew tired of it. As well as annoyed and distraught, after certain… incidents took place. Shaking herself mentally, she continued her pace towards the cafeteria, when she came across a brooding, black-clad figure passing through the threshold and towards her direction.

            Squall.

- _"Hello Squall." _Quistis greeted him politely, once he reached her.

- _"Hello Instructor Trepe." _Squall spoke, nodding.

- _"Squall, please. You make me feel eighty when you call me that. I'd like to believe we know each other well enough to be on a first name basis." _Quistis said, smiling.

- _"Right… Sorry… Quistis." _he said.

- _"Had lunch then?" _she asked.

- _"No, I'm not hungry. But __Irvine__, Zell, Rinoa and Selphie are inside, in case you're looking for some company." _he said nonchalantly.

- _"Oh, good. Hyne, I almost forgot…" _she said, extending her arm towards him _"Congratulations." _she spoke, smiling warmly.

- _"Thank you." _Squall said modestly, shaking her hand in a lukewarm manner _"I take it the news are all around Garden then?" _he asked.

- _"No, no-one knows yet. I was up to the Headmaster's office, discussing about my new classes and he told me."_ Quistis replied _"I've decided to take up Junior classmen. I think I'll manage better, don't you think?"_

- _"Maybe." _said Squall, shrugging _"Sounds nice."_

- _"Yes it does, doesn't it?" _she said, smiling brightly _"I like the idea of guiding students into their very first steps."_

- _"Right."_

- _"Not in a good mood, are we today?" _Quistis asked.

- _"Not really." _Squall admitted.

- _"Don't worry, Squall. Seifer may be a pain at first, but he'll come around soon." _she said and winking at him, resumed her walk down the corridor.

            Squall scoffed **_'He'll come around she says… I'll be lucky if we don't kill each other after the first day…'_** 

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            _You know, by now I'd already lost my job as an Instructor… So I'm finally beginning to understand where all_

_             that 'lacking leadership qualities' headed towards…_

_                                                                                    You think Seifer was the reason?_

_                                    One of them, yes…_

_                                                                                    Quistis, did that erm… incident with Wimbly Donner really happen?_

_                                                                                                            *Pause* Yes._

_                                                Oh… Really sorry to hear that…_

_                                                                                                                        Don't be. He's still going to be walking funny after the beating I gave him._

_                                                            You **and** 'someone' else…_

_                                                                                                                                    *Pause* Yes…_

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_                                                                                                                                          The following day…_

_Seifer was up in his office signing some papers, when he heard a knock on his door. He raised his head from his desk and spoke._

_"Come in."_

_The door opened and Xu walked inside. She took a few steps forward and saluted him._

_"I just came to collect the admission forms in case you were done signing them Commander" she said, her voice timid._

_"Yes, yes. You can take them." Seifer replied sternly, stacking the papers._

_Xu approached the desk and collected the forms, saluting once more, then turning to walk towards the door.___

_"And Xu?"__ Seifer said._

_"Yes, sir?"___

_"You will address me as **Commander Almasy, sir** from now on, or I'll demote your bony ass back to fucking Ensign. Did I make myself clear?" Seifer asked, a smug smile broad on his face._

_"Yes Commander Almasy, sir. __Crystal__." Xu replied, blushing._

_She turned around once again and exited the office. Seifer smirked triumphantly **'That'll teach ya to bust my balls in the SeeD exam, bitch…' **he though._

_He got up from his comfortable, leather chair and looked outside the window._

****

_The intercom on his desk buzzed, making him turn around. He pressed the button and spoke._

_"Yes?"_

_"Commander Almasy, sir," spoke his secretary "Instructor Trepe is here requesting to see you."_

**_'Is she now?' _**_Seifer thought, rubbing his chin._

_"Let her in."_

_The tall blond sat onto his chair once again, intertwining his fingers on the desk. The door knocked._

_"Come in."_

_Quistis appeared on the threshold, clad in her uniform. Closing the door behind her and walking a bit closer, she stopped and saluted him._

_"Commander Almasy, sir."_

_"Instructor Trepe." said Seifer, nodding "May I ask what it is you're here to see me for?"_

_"I have come to discuss my new timetable." Quistis said "I'm afraid some of the hours are not suitable to the rest of my schedule."_

_"You timetable, please." Seifer said, extending his arm._

_Quistis walked over to his desk and handed him a paper. Seifer skimmed it through._

_"My request is that you reschedule the 1400 hours class on Monday to 1600 hours, and my 1600 hours class on Wednesday to 1100 hours." Quistis said._

_"Hmmm…That would be a problem," Seifer said, checking another paper "Since one of them will collide with the same class Instructor Aki is teaching at that hour and the other with Instructor __Rogers__'s class."_

_"So isn't there anything that can be done?"_

_"No, I'm sorry." Seifer said, getting up._

_"Nothing?"__ Quistis asked again._

_"I'm afraid so." Seifer replied, walking in front of her, crossing his arms._

_Quistis smiled mischievously and rested her palm on the desk behind her._

_"Surely we could… discuss this a bit further?" she asked, her voice huskier._

_"Do you have any… 'other' ideas in mind?" Seifer spoke, arching an eyebrow._

_"I may have…" Quistis replied impishly, biting her lower lip._

_"Could I hear them out?" Seifer asked, leaning closer to her._

_"Why, of course…" Quistis replied._

_With one swift sweep, she cleared off Seifer's desk, discarding all the items to the floor. She grabbed Seifer's shirt from the front, yanking him forward as she lay backwards onto the desk._

_Her legs enveloped his waist, pulling him closer, as his lips descended on hers…_

                                                                                                                                                      *****

                                                                                                                                             *Knock* *Knock*

            Seifer jolted up in his bed, looking around in utter confusion. He groaned and fell back onto his bed stomach-first, burying his head into his pillow.

- _"Son-of-a-bitch!" _came his muffled curse, as he brought his fist down to the mattress with might.

                                                                                                                                             Knock* *Knock*

            **_'Oh, the dickhead who had the _nerve_ to wake me up won't hear the end of this…' _**the blond thought, kicking the covers off the bed. 

                                                                                                                                             Knock* *Knock*

- _"I'M COMING ALREADY!!!" _he roared.

            He walked over to the door, literally fuming, and yanked it open.

- _"**WHAT**?!"_

- _"And a good morning to you, too." _spoke Quistis, staring at him wide-eyed.__

- _"Oh…" _Seifer said, letting out a whimper. She was wearing her uniform… _"…It's you."_

            It took Quistis's eyes quite a few seconds to realize –the sudden yelling could have that effect- that he had answered the door in his boxers. Strong, worked-out arms protruded from a pair of broad shoulders, a chiseled chest cascaded down to a 'V' shape, ending in narrow, firm hips. Hermes of Praxitelus had nothing on the guy…   

- _"Uhh… Yes," _said Quistis, looking away momentarily, then turned her gaze up to his face. There. That was… safer _"It's me. Are you aware of the time?"_

- _"Excuse me?" _Seifer asked, arching both eyebrows.__

- _"Do you **know** what time it is?" _Quistis repeated, hands on her hips. Her voice had suddenly become quite austere.__

- _"Fuck, I dunno… Seven?" _he asked, shrugging.__

- _"Try __eight thirty__." _Quistis informed him.__

- _"Erm… You came all the way here just to tell me **that**?" _Seifer asked, rubbing his sore neck, yawning.__

- _"Use your almost inexistent brains, Almasy." _Quistis said, rolling her eyes _"Do you recall any 'arrangements' you had for the day?"_

- _"First of all, bitchin' ain't gonna get you on my good side." _he replied, counting 'one' with his fingers _"Second," _he released another finger. He paused, thinking _"…No."_ he added, shaking his head.__

- _"Come **on**, Seifer!" _Quistis said, exasperated _"Cid told you to be at your office at **exactly **eight o' clock!"_

            Seifer froze **_'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck…' _**

- _"Is he… mad?" _he asked, rubbing the back of his hair.

- _"Thankfully, he's not here yet." _Quistis replied _"He left last night on some business and stayed over in Balamb. He called at eight and said he'd be here by nine o' clock tops. Come on, hurry!" _she urged him, pushing him inside his room.

- _"OK, OK, quit shovin'!" _Seifer protested.

            He walked over to his closet, grabbing a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt with some red writing on it. He walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

            Quistis exhaled audibly. She began pacing around the room. That guy would be the end of them all… First day in his brand new position and what did he do? He slept in… She shook her head in disbelief. It enraged her how some people had no discipline in their lives. Probably because she had so much in hers. 

            Quistis suddenly stopped in her tracks, eyes widening.

            Furious beyond imagination, she strode over to the bathroom door and knocked hard.

- _"SEIFER! Is that **WATER** I'm hearing?!" _she yelled.

- _"Umm… yeah?" _came Seifer's obviously confused voice.

- _"Are you taking a **shower**?!" _she shouted.

- _"Erm… yeah… Why, you wanna join?" _Seifer commented sarcastically. 

- 

            Obviously, the situation seemed hilarious enough to him to joke about. Quistis thought she was going to explode…

- _"You're **already** half an hour late, Cid could be here **any** minute and YOU'RE TAKING A SHOWER?!!!"_ she roared, banging hard onto the door once more.

- _"Hey, I happen to be a **clean** guy, you know…" _Seifer spoke from the bathroom.

            Quistis took a look around her. Covers thrown onto the floor, bed sheets dangling from the edges of the bed, an ashtray on the nightstand that hadn't been emptied since Hyne knew when, a stack of magazines onto the desk, a ton of clothes thrown haphazardly onto the chair and a trash can that seemed ready to collapse under the weight of the already protruding garbage.

- _"Seifer, if you're not out here in **one** minute, I swear to Hyne-"_

- _"Sheesh, keep your panties on! I'm almost done!" _Seifer protested.

            Quistis let out a grunt of indignation, throwing a kick at the door. She winced and limped for a bit, ready to pull all her blond hairs out one by one. She crossed her arms and waited. Her gaze fell onto the blanket lying on the floor. It practically screamed at her to pick it up **_'*Scoff* Yeah, right… Now I'm going to be Almasy's personal _maid_ as well?' _**she thought. 

            Her gaze never left the blanket. 

_Pick me up…_

            She looked away and began tapping her foot on the floor.

_Pick me up…_

            Her eyes fell back onto the blanket.

_Pick me up…_

            She sighed **_'Dammit…'_**

            She strode over to the bed, picked up the blanket and began folding it, in an almost hostile manner, while cursing inwardly.

            The door behind her opened, revealing Seifer dressed in his jeans, T-shirt in one hand, towel on the other, with which he rubbed his hair dry. Quistis froze in position **_'He just _had_ to walk in right _now_, didn't he?'_**

****

- _"Cleaning up my dorm for me? What next, cook me dinner?" _Seifer said, winking at her as she turned around.

- _"Just put some clothes on and let's go before I have a nervous breakdown." _Quistis said through gritted teeth, looking away.

- _"Talk about PMS…" _Seifer mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.

            He tossed the towel onto the bed -**_'Pig.' _**Quistis thought-, slipping his T-shirt on, walking towards the nightstand to pick up his wallet and weapon, which lay on its case near by. She rolled her eyes. His T-Shirt read on the back: 'You're ugly and I'm not in the mood. So don't even think about it.'

- _"Something that does **not** have offensive logos on it?" _Quistis asked, voice as calm as her current mental state allowed it to be, crossing her arms.

- _"I've got one that says 'Barbie is a bitch'…" _Seifer suggested, slipping Hyperion through the belt on his jeans.

- _"Let's just go." _Quistis said, shoving his trench coat -which she had picked up from the heap of clothes on the chair- to his chest, dragging him out to the door.  

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Squall seemed ready to burst any moment now, Xu and Nida threw him sideways glances and then looked at each other, making a mental bet that if they held his nose, he'd combust.

            The small elevator leading up to the bridge was called. 

            Squall stopped pacing back and forth and stood next to the empty shaft of the elevator, waiting **_'There's gonna be Hell to pay… I can _feel_ it…' _**Xu thought.

            The elevator rose back up, revealing Seifer and Quistis. The latter threw one glance on Squall's face and swallowed hard as she realized what was about to follow.

- _"Mornin'…" _said Seifer casually _"Cid not here yet? What, does he have no manners?"_

            That was it.

            After a long period of intense throbbing, the vein in Squall's forehead finally popped.

- _"WHERE. HAVE. YOU. **BEEN**?!"_ the young Commander roared, grabbing Seifer's T-shirt.

            Quistis, Xu and Nida stared at him wide-eyed. Seifer simply smirked. He pointed down at the office, now visible from the bridge. Squall arched an eyebrow and looked down. Cid was coming.

            Growling, the brown-haired boy let go of his blond counterpart, running a hand through his hair as the elevator got called again.

            Within seconds, Cid appeared up in the bridge. The man looked as if he'd run a mile.

- _"I'm terribly sorry for being so late!" _he exclaimed, wiping his damp forehead dry with a hanky _"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long…"_

- _"It's OK, sir." _Seifer replied, grinning.__

            Everyone but Cid glared at him.

- _"Alright then. Ready for the announcement?" _asked Cid.

- _"Ready."_ replied Seifer.

- _"Ready." _mumbled Squall. __

            Cid turned the PA on and cleared his throat.

- _"This is Headmaster Cid. I have an announcement to make." _he spoke_ "I have important news that I must share with all of you. The Garden is being repaired. We're leaving FH as soon as the repairs are done. We're going on a journey. This is a journey to defeat the sorceress. Garden will now be used as a mobile base. The administration of Garden will be run by myself and the staff, as usual. This journey will involve many battles. A well-qualified leader is needed for this. Or rather, two well-qualified leaders. Therefore, I am appointing Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy as your new leaders. From now on, Seifer and Squall will be the leaders. They will decide our destination and battle plan. Everyone, please follow their orders. If there are any objections, please come see me in person."_

            Cid turned the PA off. Seifer chuckled inwardly **_'Oh, they'll be flooding his office for me…' _**

- _ "Well, then. I have my own business to attend to. I'll leave the rest up to you." _Cid addressed Seifer and Squall.

            The Headmaster left the bridge, heading back down to his office. Squall looked at Seifer, who smirked back **_'This is going to be one loooong journey…'_** he thought.

****

* * *

**A/N:** I pity Squall… I really do. But hell, it's fun to watch your –borrowed- characters suffer and squirm *evil grin*

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_A day in Hell for Seifer… _

_You'll know what I mean soon enough… :-p_


	22. Chapter 21: A clone of my own

**A/N:** Hey guys…

I've got news: I've just created a live journal, which will be mostly used to post things about the progress of my fics, comments etc. Hence, the notorious 'review' problem is solved :-p Just check my profile and you'll find the URL down at the bottom. I've just updated the profile, so it might not be there yet, but it will be as of tomorrow tops.

On this chapter now… Chris says it's my best comedy-wise so far… Sal was unnaturally helpful I must admit… Let's just see if you'll think so as well… 

Oh, before I forget… Credit for some of the punchlines goes to Chris ^_~ And the 'smoking Ghysahl Greens' comes from an amazing fic called _'__Balamb__Garden__'s Yuletide vacation'_.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and Squall are made Commanders of B-Garden and the tension between them thickens even more…_

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                                                                **_~*A second chance*~_**

                                                                                                                                                By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                                          Chapter 21: A clone of my own**

* * *

* * *

_                                                                                                                                             Three days later…_

- _"So __Galbadia__Garden__ is now on the move, just like we'll be as of tomorrow. They've turned their Garden into a mobile base as well. Sorceress Edea resides there as an ally." _Xu explained to Squall _"We could easily come across them any moment now. Or it could take ages if we keep moving in different directions."_

            Squall looked down at the map, rubbing his chin.

- _"It might be easier to track them down since they've been sending troops all over the globe on their search for Ellone." _said Squall.

- _"So what do you suggest?"_

- _"Maybe we should start checking the cities they've invaded. We might get some information from their troops." _replied Squall.

- _"It's possible." _said Xu _"Where do you think we should start?"_

            The elevator doors slid open at that exact moment and Seifer stormed inside, heading for his office. Xu and Squall saw him through the glass wall in Xu's office. Xu checked her watch.

- _"He sure is early… __7:58 a.m.__ That's a record…" _she said, slightly surprised.

            Squall walked out of Xu's office, walking over to Seifer.

- _"Seifer, we need to discuss-"_

- _"Not now, Leonhart!" _Seifer cut him off _"Just gimme five minutes." _he said, slamming the door of their office shut. 

            Squall glared at the closed door, muttering a flurry of curses under his breath.

- _"Commander, I-" _spoke Xu.

- _"Tell Almasy to come up to the bridge as soon as he's done. I'll be up talking with Nida about our destination plans." _said Squall, heading towards the small elevator.

- _"OK…" _mumbled Xu, walking over to the door to their office.

            She was about to knock, when a conversation from inside the office caught her attention. Xu arched an eyebrow and looked around her. No-one was close by. Carefully, she stuck her ear against the door, trying to listen.

- _"So how much will it cost? *Grunt* It would come a lot cheaper if I did it myself… *Pause* Yes, yes, I know it will feel a lot different…"_

            Xu creased her forehead.

- _"*Sigh* Alright, fine… But I'm telling you, if I'm not pleased by it, I'm expecting a refund. *Pause* Good. Just make sure it's long and flexible."_

            Xu's eyes snapped open.

- _"And the spikes should be **very** sharp."_

            Xu covered her mouth to muffle an upcoming scream.

- _"OK, so we'll be stationed in FH for the day, but we're leaving tomorrow. *Pause* Great, I'll be expecting him tonight then."_

            The brunette stepped away from the door, trying to register what she'd just heard. She took a few steps forward, completely stunned. 

            The door behind her opened.

- _"Xu?"_ Seifer called.__

_            **'Just pretend you didn't listen… Just keep away from that gay, masochistic psycho!!!' **_the girl thought.

- _"Hello, Xu?"_

_            **'Think happy thoughts… Happy thoughts…' **_she thought, walking away slowly.

- _"XU!!!"_

****

****

Xu bit her bottom lip and shaking, turned around.

- _"Yes?" _she asked, her face pale like chalk.

- _"What's the matter with you? I've been calling you for ages…" _Seifer said, frowning _"Where's Squall?"_

- _"U-u-up. Up in the bridge." _Xu muttered.

- _"O – K…" _Seifer said, narrowing his eyes at her.

            **_'I always thought she was one damn weird bitch, but what the Hell's up her ass today?'_ **Seifer thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

            The tall blond called the elevator, heading up for the bridge.

            Once he disappeared from sight, Xu let out a sigh of relief **_'The _nerve_ on that guy! He even had the impudence to call about his sicko bondage date from the _office_!' _**

****

****

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Quistis walked down the Dormitory corridor, carrying a small plastic bag. She checked a small card she was holding, upon which a number was written **_'Room 378… 378… Ah, there it is!' _**

            She walked over to the door of the dorm she'd been looking for and knocked. It took a couple of minutes before its resident appeared to the threshold.

- _"Quisty!" _Selphie said, delighted.

            Quistis smiled at the younger girl. She'd been trying to sound as chirpy as she normally did for the past few days, but her exhaustion from the Missile Base mission and the grief over Trabia's loss had cost her a tremendous lot. Hey eyes were 'adorned' by black circles, her eyes had lost their spark, her hair didn't sport this vivacious, gravity-defying flip anymore and not even her bright green pajamas  looked cheerful on her. Quistis had been feeling awfully sorry for the girl and thought she'd pay her a visit and bring her some food.

- _"Hello Selphie. I brought you over some lunch. I thought we could just… hang out." _Quistis said.

- _"Sure, sure! Come in!" _Selphie said politely, stepping aside.

            Quistis walked inside the girl's dorm, looking around in curiosity. The room was quite clean and neat, funky lamps and ornaments were sprawled practically everywhere and a fluorescent orange blanket covered the surface of her bed. A cozy, welcome aura breezed all over the room.  

- _"Very nice place." _Quistis commented, smiling.

            She suddenly realized how much different her room looked. The only decorations inside hers, where book, books and more books. Oh, did I mention books? The plain white, cold walls couldn't even come close to comparing to the warm, pastel green ones Selphie's room bore. Green and orange just didn't mix in Quistis's mind, but Selphie somehow made it work.

- _"Thanks." _Selphie said modestly, blushing _"Have a seat."_

- _"Thank you."_ said Quistis, sitting on the bed _"I hope you like pasta…"_

- _"I **love** pasta!" _said Selphie, sitting onto the bed as well, crossing her legs _"What did you get?"_

- _"Spaghetti. I think the sauce is Arabiata." _said Quistis, opening the bag.

- _"Ooh, spicy as well. Great!" _said Selphie, taking the plastic plate Quistis handed her.

            She peeled off the carton foil and sniffed a whiff. 

- _"Mmm… Smells wonderful, too!"_ she said, opening the package that contained a plastic fork and knife _"Didn't you get anything for yourself?" _she asked, mouth full of spaghetti.

- _"No, I already ate." _replied Quistis _"Here you go." _she said, handing her a can of Coke.

- _"This is all too much!" _said Selphie _"What do I owe you?"_

- _"Don't be silly…" _said Quistis _"You owe me nothing."_

- _"Fine, fine… I'm buying you a couple of hotdogs tomorrow to make it even." _said Selphie grinning, licking her bottom lip that had been smeared with sauce.

- _"So… What have you been up to?" _Quistis asked.

- _"Oh! I was going to tell you tomorrow, but I've come across some musical scores that-"_

            The door knocked just then, making Selphie frown in surprise.

- _"That should be Rinoa." _Quistis said, getting up _"I saw her before coming here and she said she was going to visit in a bit."_

- _"Oh, goody!" _Selphie said, grinning broadly.__

Quistis opened the door, indeed revealing Rinoa behind it. The brunette stepped inside pulling a leash that traced to the doorway behind her.

- _"I've got a surprise for you…" _said Rinoa mischievously _"Look who came to see you!"_

            She pulled the leash lightly and Angelo emerged to the door.

- _"Oh! Angelo!" _exclaimed Selphie, getting off the bed as the dog approached her.

            She fell down on her knees and hugged Angelo, who began licking her face. Rinoa and Quistis giggled at the sight. Rinoa turned and looked at Quistis.

- _"You'll **never** believe what I came across just now…" _she said, grinning.

- _"What?" _asked Quistis, arching an eyebrow.

- _"This." _replied Rinoa, handing her a pink flier.

            Quistis brought the piece of paper before her eyes and began reading it. Her eyes widened.

* * *

                                                                                                                              Are you between 16 and 19 years old?

                                                                                                                           Do you believe you resemble Quistis Trepe?

                                                                                                                      Then **you're** the person we're looking for in the:

**_                                                                                                                                             FISRT ANNUAL_**

**_                                                                                                                                             QUISTIS TREPE_**

**_                                                                                                                                    LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST!!!_**

                                                                                                         Organized by the faithful fan club of everyone's favorite Instructor,

                                                                                                      this contest will hopefully be the first in a series of many such occasions

                                                                                                               in order to honor the fabulous woman that is Quistis Trepe!

**                                                                                                                                              FIRST PRIZE:**

_                                                                                          A life-size poster of Quistis Trepe and a signed test paper from the woman herself!_

**                                                                                                                                       Second and Third prizes:**

****

_                                                                                                                           One 8,5" action figure of Quistis Trepe!_

**_                                                                                                                                                      ~ *  ~_**

                                                                                                               So don't lose another second and sign up for the contest!

                                                                                                      Application forms can be found at the 'Quistis Trepe fan club' pavilion,

                                                                                                                           stationed near the Directory in the Main Hall

                                                                                                                           All applicants should appear by **1800** hours

                                                                                          The contest will take place at **1900** hours **this evening**, after all applicants are gathered

                                                                                                         Further information on the contest terms will be given at the pavilion

**_                                                                                                         NOTE:_**_ Uniform/Battle Gear will be supplied to all applicants_

****

* * *

- _"**WHAAAAAAT?!**"_

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Hyne, I'm starving…" _mumbled Seifer, burying his head within his crossed arms onto the desk.

- _"Yeah, me too… But we're almost done…" _said Squall, rubbing his sore temples.

- _"What's there to talk about? We've narrowed it down to Balamb, why don't we just pay our first visit there?" _asked Seifer.

- _"I suppose you're right… It'll give us an opportunity to see if there's any damage inflicted on the city." _said Squall.

- _"And many students will want to check it out too, since the majority of them comes from Balamb City."_ added Seifer.

- _"Alright then… We'll set course for Balamb as of tomorrow and inform the student body first thing in the morning." _said Squall.

- _"Good, good… Are we done then?" _asked Seifer, rubbing his grumbling stomach.

- _"Yeah, we're done."_ said Squall.

- _"Great… I'm gonna go grab some lunch with Fuj and Raij. You wanna come?" _Seifer asked, although something in Squall told him he wasn't really thrilled to ask.

- _"Nah, I'll just stay a bit more. Maybe I'll see you there later on."_

- _"Suit yourself…" _said Seifer, shrugging.

            The tall blond made his way towards the elevator. He pressed the button and began looking around while waiting, when his eyes caught Xu peeking over to him from her office. As soon as he spotted her though, she disappeared from sight. Seifer shook his head in disbelief **_'Freaky girl…' _**

            Stepping inside the elevator shaft, he pushed the button for the first floor and leaned against the glass walls in boredom. He was desperate for something to do today, but he couldn't even go out for a walk with all the work that had suddenly flooded them **_'Shitty job…'_** he thought, realizing that if it wasn't for the prestige and the paycheck, he'd have resigned from the very first day.

            The elevator doors slid open and he stepped outside, walking down the steps. He noticed a pavilion stationed next to the Directory. He couldn't make out what it was, and was about to approach when he felt a hand yank him to the side. He turned around and found Fujin, Raijin and next to them…

- _"ARGH!" _Seifer yelled, jolting up.

- _"PERFECT. RIGHT?" _Fujin said.

            What he had before his eyes, was more or less a replica of himself, in a slightly mini version… The guy standing next to Fujin and Raijin, was quite tall, blonde, had green eyes and was wearing a long grey trench coat. Seifer stared at him in awe. The only thing separating them, were the red crosses on Seifer's coat, which didn't appear on the other guy's and –of course- the scar on Seifer's forehead. Even the face was somewhat similar to his. 

- _"Who. Is. He?" _Seifer spoke, still utterly surprised.

- _"He's your successor, ya know." _said Raijin _"Now that you're a Commander you can't be in the Disciplinary Committee too, so we needed someone else, ya know."_

- _"What?! But we're a posse, remember?" _Seifer protested.

- _"We're still a posse, man. But you can't be on the committee anymore, ya know?" _said Raijin.

- _"NO OTHER WAY." _said Fujin.

- _"Yeah, I suppose you're right…" _Seifer said, sounding glum.

- _"I'm Cedric Walsh. Pleased to meet you, Commander Almasy!" _the blond boy said, extending his arm towards Seifer.

- _"Right…" _Seifer replied, narrowing his eyes at him, not shaking his hand.

- _"I presume the resemblance to you seems a bit weird…" _said Cedric.

- _"No shit…" _said Seifer, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Well, I thought it'd be best if the new Disciplinary Committee resembled the old one, so I took the liberty of buying a coat similar to yours."_ replied Cedric.

- _"AND?" _Fujin asked.

- _"And… Bought a pair of green eye contacts…" _said Cedric, grinning.

- _"AND?" _Fujin repeated.

- _"And… I admire you very much, sir." _Cedric said modestly.

            By now, Seifer was one step away from applying for a restraining order.  

- _"I need a cigarette…" _he mumbled, storming away and heading towards the Dormitories.

            Fujin, Raijin and Cedric watched him as he walked away.

- _"That went well, don't you think?" _asked Cedric.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Zell hastily walked down the stairs of the Quad, heading towards the stage. Selphie had asked all of them to gather there for some reason she hadn't explained. Zell had gotten caught up in the library, in a conversation with one of the girls working there. He cursed at his bad luck for having to leave, but whoever was not familiar with Selphie's wrath, couldn't have understood his slight anxiety on having arrived late… He hurried over to the stage, where everyone except for Seifer and Squall were gathered.

- _"You're LATE!" _Selphie hissed at him, once approaching them.

- _"Sorry, sorry! I… I sort of slept in a bit…" _Zell apologized _"What did I miss?"_

- _"Selphie has been jabbering about some sort of… concert." _said Quistis, shrugging once Zell gave her a puzzled look.

- _"Concert?" _he asked.

- _"Yes!" _squealed Selphie in delight _"I thought we'd throw a small one to congratulate Squall and Seifer on their recent promotion. We could all use a little bit of fun and Hyne knows how much Squall needs it!"_

- _"I don't get why we're throwing it for **both** of them. Can't we do it just for Squall?" _asked Zell eagerly. Selphie slapped the back of his head, while the rest chuckled.

- _"Don't be mean! Seifer has been **very** nice to me and he deserves it!" _Selphie protested.

- _"Oh, yeah? Name **one** occasion." _said Zell, crossing his arms.

- _"Remember just yesterday, when he agreed to partially fund the Garden Festival with money from his **own** account?" _replied Selphie.

- _"He was desperate to make you **shut up** about it!" _Zell retorted, sending a fit of laughter throughout the small group.

- _"Anyway, that's not the point…" _Irvine interrupted _"We're doing it for both of them. They **both** deserve it, and like Selphie said before, Squall **really** needs to get out more. So…_ _Everyone…Here's our producer, Selphie."_

- _"Ahem! We'll be holdin' the concert as planned."_ said Selphie, with the air of a professional _"As we already said, it won't be just for us, but to congratulate Seifer and Squall on their recent promotion."_

- _"Sounds fun." _said Quistis.__

- _"So, who's gonna perform?"_ asked Zell.__

- _"We are."_ replied Irvine.__

- _"Yeah right."_ said Zell in disbelief.__

- _"You're kidding…"_ said Quistis in disbelief_ "Oh, no way. You can count me out. I have no musical aptitude."_

- _"Oh really? I gotta see this."_ Rinoa said, giggling.__

- _"Let's just give it a try. We have everything ready and all we need is 4 people."_ Selphie said, trying to persuade them.__

- _"This is gonna be fun!"_ squealed Rinoa.__

- _"Oh, sorry, Rinoa, but you're not gonna be a member."_ said Selphie.__

- _"You're leaving me out?"_ Rinoa asked, sounding hurt.__

- _"Nuh-uh. We have something more important for you to do." _Selphie said, grinning mischievously _"I thought I might have needed Quistis off as well, but I don't think Seifer is going to refuse to come, right?"_

- _"What?!" _Quistis exclaimed, turning red.__

- _"Nothing…" _said Selphie, giggling.__

- _"So what are we gonna do? I mean basically, we're all amateurs, right? Even if you hand us instruments, we won't be able to do anything."_ said Zell.__

- _"Don't worry; we have until tonight to practice for the performance. I'll help you out." _Irvine said.__

- _"Rinoa, that's when you're up." _Selphie told her.__

- _"You can count on me!"_ Rinoa said determinedly.__

- _"It's gonna be a blast!"_ squealed Selphie.__

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was lying onto his bed, taking in long drags from his cigarette. This was just great… As if the Trepies weren't enough, now he had his own personal 'stalker', who by the way, chose to wear clothes similar to his. He shuddered at the thought of dozens of guy just like that one, strolling around Garden with their grey coats, dyed blond hair and green eye contacts…

            He quickly pushed the thought away…

            Suddenly, he heard a faint ringing sound and felt a minor vibration in his right pocket. He remembered that he'd bought a cell-phone the previous day. Slipping his free hand inside that pocket, he answered the call.

- _"Hello?"_

- _"Commander Almasy?"_ said a female voice.__

- _"This is he." _said Seifer, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"I'm calling about the order you've placed. The courier should be there any minute now. He's ordered to hand the package to you personally. I presume you'll be expecting him in your office?" _said the woman.__

- _"Yes, yes. Thank you." _said Seifer.__

- _"Very well. Have a good evening."_

- _"Likewise." _said Seifer, terminating the call.__

            He got up, putting out his cigarette by the ashtray and picked up his trench coat.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Xu was sitting onto her chair, legs crossed upon her desk, going through some paperwork. She yawned and checked her watch. 6:30 p.m. She felt her stomach rumble, only to realize that she hadn't left the office from the moment she set foot there in the morning. Deciding she'd had enough for the day, she went on with the last paper in her hands, after which she'd get some lunch and rest.

            She heard the elevator doors slide open and noticed a man walking inside, looking around. She arched an eyebrow.

- _"Hello?" _called the man.

            Getting up from her chair, Xu walked outside. The man seemed to be about her age, with jet-black hair, azure eyes and a very well-built body. And quite handsome. He had his palms slipped casually in the pockets of his long coat, which was buttoned up.

- _"May I help you?"_ asked Xu, once approaching him.

- _"Oh yeah, hi… I've been told I'll find Commander Almasy here?" _said the man.

            Xu's eyes widened. Seifer's earlier words flashed into her mind.

_Great, I'll be expecting him tonight then._

            But of course… A handsome man, tall and well-built, just like Seifer… And conveniently 'covered' by a long coat…

- _"Umm… Miss? Is the Commander here?" _asked the man, bewildered by her expression.

            Xu's forehead creased.

- _"You should be ashamed of yourself!"_ she snapped.

- _"E-e-excuse me?" _asked the man, dumbfounded.

- _"Hyne… How old are you?!" _Xu asked.

- _"Erm… Nineteen…" _mumbled the man.

- _"Dear Hyne… And you've been doing this for how long?!" _

- _"Umm… Four years…"_

            Xu gasped and covered her mouth.

- _"Hyne, can't you see they've been **using** you?!" _she said, exasperated.

- _"Umm… 'They'?"_ asked the man, more puzzled than ever.

- _"Don't tell me you **enjoy** doing this job…" _

- _"Well…" _said the man, shrugging _"It might not pay that well, but it's steady money. And I only work whenever I'm called by-"_

- _"Argh! How can you be so casual about this?!" _Xu shrieked _"It's so… humiliating!"_

- _"Now hold on a second there, Miss…" _said the man, crossing his arms, apparently offended _"I might not be some high and mighty Military Officer like yourself, but I'm proud of what I do! No-one should be ashamed of their job…"_

- _"Oh Hyne, I can't believe I'm hearing this!" _said Xu, palms pressed against har temples.

- _"Listen, Miss… Do you know where I can find Commander Almasy or not?" _asked the man, exasperated _"Because I have to give him-"_ he began, opening up his coat.

- _"NO! NO! I don't want to see what you're giving him!" _Xu yelled, turning away.

            The man looked at her, eyes wide open.

- _"Are you some kind of Looney, or what?!" _he asked, but it sounded a whole lot more like a statement _"I'm just here to hand him-"_

- _"ARGH!"_

            Xu screamed as the man slid his coat open, taking out a long, thin box from the inside, opening it up.

            Xu's shriek immediately toned down the moment she saw what lay inside the box.

- _"W-w-what's that?" _she asked, voice barely audible.

- _"Two Marlboro tentacles, four Sharp Spikes and four Energy Crystals." _the man replied matter-of-factly.

- _"Huh?" _Xu asked, bewildered, looking at him.

- _"The order Commander Almasy placed for the upgrade of a certain weapon." _said the man, creasing his forehead.

            Xu's eyebrows arched. All Seifer's previous words came to mind and suddenly, made a **much** less perverted sense…

- _"Ohhh…"_

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer made his way down the wide corridors, leading down to the Main Hall. Suddenly, he saw the figure of a woman, exiting the Quad, heading down towards the Hall as well.

            She had long blond hair caught up in a bun and wore a peach battle gear.

            Seifer squinted. Had Quistis gained weight all of a sudden? He could have sworn that the last time he saw her she looked just as thin as always… Shrugging, he quickened his pace, trying to catch up with her. Once he reached her, he tapped on her shoulder.

- _"Hey…" _he said, grinning.

            Quistis turned around and…

- _"ARGH!"_

            That woman was **not** Quistis… Sure, she had blond hair, blue eyes, wore the all-too-familiar battle gear, but her face…

            Seifer stared at the girl wide-eyed, only to receive a smile in reciprocation.

- _"Good evening, Commander Almasy, sir." _said the girl, saluting him.

            Seifer let out a shaky, nervous chuckle and passed by the girl, resuming his walk down the hallway **_'Great… Now I'm hallucinating about her as well…'_** Shaking his head in disbelief, he raised his glance upwards to the crowd gathered around the Directory.

            His heart skipped a good few beats and his breath caught up in his throat.

            A myriad of blond girls with hair caught up in buns, dressed in peach gears or SeeD uniforms were gathered there, around a pavilion. 

            Seifer froze in his tracks, staring at the view dumbfounded **_'Holy crap… I need to get outta here!' _**

            The blond Commander sprinted up the stairs, frantically pushing the elevator button, as dozens of eyes locked upon him quizzically. The elevator shaft finally reached the first floor and Seifer stormed inside it immediately. The doors closed behind him, as he slid down the glass wall, sighing in relief **_'Fuck… I need to stop smoking Ghysahl Greens…'_**

****

****

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

****

            Seifer stepped out of the elevator, walking inside the third floor area. The courier seemed nowhere in sight. But he should be there any moment now… Deciding to go relax for a bit in his office, he stopped in his tracks right before opening the door. He frowned.

            A faint sound could be heard, coming from… **somewhere**. 

            **_'Oh good Hyne… I'm not hearing voices now too, am I?'_**

****

****No, no… He couldn't possibly be mistaken… A slightly more distinct sound was coming from… Xu's office. 

            Puzzled, Seifer strode over there and opened the door.

            Immediately, he wished he hadn't…

- _"SHIT!" _he shrieked, turning away _"MY EYES! MY PRECIOUS EYES!" _he began yelling, covering his eyes.

            He stepped away from the door, trying to catch his breath, while still muttering curses under his breath. Seconds later, Xu walked outside, fumbling with the shirt of her SeeD uniform.

            Seifer rubbed his eyes open, gasping for air.

- _"Commander, I-"_ mumbled Xu.

- _"NO! **DON'T**! I don't wanna know what you were doing in there! I just wanna erase it from my memory, like it **never** happened!" _Seifer said hysterically, not turning around to look at her.

- _"I'm **so** sorry, I-"_

- _"LA, LA, LA! I'M NOT LISTENING! LA, LA, LA!"_

            Xu sighed and ran a palm down her face. After a couple of minutes, Seifer seemed to calm down… He took a deep breath and turned to look at her.

- _"What the **fuck** did you think you were doing in there and who the hell was that guy?!" _Seifer asked, voice half-mad, half-disgusted.

- _"Commander, I'm **really** sorry…"_

- _"Oh you bet you'll be sorry…" _Seifer said, crossing his arms _"You're going **down** for that…" _he added, smirking broadly.

- _"Oh really?" _said Xu, narrowing her eyes at him _"Then I guess I should go tell Quistis about the weapon you're buying her as a **gift**…" _

            Seifer's eyes widened.

- _"How the hell do you kn-?"_

- _"That was the courier in there, honey…" _Xu said, grinning triumphantly.

            Seifer's face darkened. He leered down at her.

- _"Go ahead and do it… I'm giving it to her anyway…"_

- _"Yes, but I bet the Trepies would just **looove** to hear about it…"_ said Xu, smirking. Seifer gasped.__

- _"You wouldn't **dare**…"_

- _"Watch me." _Xu retorted. Seifer gritted his teeth.

- _"You don't spill and I don't spill either." _he suggested.

- _"Deal." _said Xu, grinning.

            Seifer's gaze fell onto the door of her office, where the head of the courier was peeking out shyly.

- _"And **you**!" _Seifer boomed, making the poor boy jump up startled _"You can forget about your tip! Get the hell outta here…"_

- _"Heh… I already got my 'tip'…" _the man mumbled, grinning.

            Seifer glared at the guy in a deadly manner, giving him his cue to skedaddle towards the elevator, disappearing through the doors.

- _"Where's my package?" _Seifer asked Xu sternly.

            The girl strode inside her office, returning shortly with a white, long package in her hands. 

- _"Here." _she said coldly, handing it to him.

            Seifer snatched it from her hands and, throwing her one last glare, walked over to the elevator. 

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Rubbing his sore neck in comfort, Seifer stepped down the stairway of the first floor, holding his package in one hand. He couldn't wait to get back to his dorm and have a long, hot shower…

            Striding down the Main Hall towards the Dormitories, the sight of a girl clad in blue came in sight. It was Rinoa, coming out of the Quad, holding Angelo from a leash. She'd obviously taken him out for a walk. Spotting him from afar, Rinoa stopped and waited up for him.

- _"Hey, Seifer." _she said, once he approached her.

- _"Hey yourself…" _said Seifer wearily _"Taking the mutt out for a walk?" _he said jokingly.

            Angelo bore his teeth out at Seifer, growling ominously.

- _"*Scoff* That dog never liked me, did it?" _asked Seifer, grinning.

- _"Well, you know what they say…" _said Rinoa smirking _"Animals can sense evil…"_

- _"Ha, frickin' ha." _said Seifer sarcastically.

            Meanwhile, Angelo had approached him and was sniffing the package he was holding.

- _"Hey!" _Seifer scowled _"Get outta there!"_

            Wrong move… Angelo's teeth encased the package and he began pulling it.

- _"Dammit, Angelo! I said **SCRAM**!"_ hissed Seifer, pulling the package as well.

            If Seifer's initial reaction had triggered the dog's curiosity, that one triggered its nerves. Angelo's teeth sank deeper into the carton package and with one abrupt pull, it slid out of Seifer's firm grip.

- _"Angelo, give the box back to Seif-"_ Rinoa began to say, but her dog sprinted away.

            The leash slid like an eel from Rinoa's hand, making her stumble and fall down, as Angelo escaped.

- _"YOU FUCKING MUTT! BRING THAT BACK!" _Seifer yelled, dashing towards the dog that ran down the hallway.

            The blond ran as fast as he could behind the dog, shoving anyone who came by his way. The animal was naturally much more agile however, and not even Seifer's well-trained body could easily catch up with it. Seifer ran and ran, squeezing among crowds, hopping above obstacles, engaging into a mad chase around the Garden hallways. 

            Angelo had run a full circle around the hallways, before running down the corridor, towards the Quad, where Rinoa had just gotten up on her feet. The raven-haired girl jumped down once Angelo came running her way, grabbing the leash from the other end tightly, bringing the dog to a halt. However, Seifer was only seconds behind it.

            He barely had time to blink, as the leash tightened, holding Angelo back. His feet weren't as fast as his mind that screamed **_'JUMP!' _**at him, resulting in their entanglement on the tight leash. The blond tripped, cursing and felt his body lean forward, right onto the railing. Rinoa ducked, shutting her eyes, as Seifer's body flew over her crouched form, and fell right into the shallow waters of the pools surrounding Garden.

**                                                                                                                                                   SPLASH!**

            Rinoa bit her bottom lip anxiously, still clutching onto Angelo's leash tightly. The dog had calmed down by now, but was still gripping the package with its teeth firmly. A small crowd gathered around Rinoa, intrigued from the splashing sound. Seifer slowly emerged from the water, face more furious than ever, breath heavy through clenched teeth. Rinoa grinned awkwardly at him and pulled the package out of Angelo's grasp, handing it to Seifer. Seifer pulled it roughly out of her hands, not uttering a word. 

- _"Commander!" _called a familiar voice behind the crowd.

            Seifer jumped up slightly, as he saw Cedric Walsh approach him, accompanied by Fujin and Raijin. He wasn't quite used to the idea of a clone of his own running around Garden, doing his former job.

- _"Are you alright, ya know?" _asked Raijin.

- _"I'm fine." _Seifer growled, glaring at Rinoa, who blushed.

- _"We were just clearing the Main Hall from all the Trepies, ya know?" _Raijin informed him _"When we heard the noise and came to see what happened, ya know?"_

- _"LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST." _Fujin said.

            Seifer creased his forehead. Trepies? Look-alike contest? 

            And then it dawned on him… The Trepies were having a Quistis look-alike contest that day; **that's** why he'd seen so many Quistis replicas running around. He wasn't hallucinating after all…  

- _"Commander, here!" _Cedric offered _"You can wear **my** coat!" _he said, beginning to remove the grey coat from his shoulders.

- _"I. HAVE. **HAD **IT WITH ALL THE CLONES TODAY!!!!" _yelled Seifer, enraged.

            Everyone took a step backwards.

- _"Everyone get back to your business and if I hear about **one** more contest like that…" _he threatened _"And **you**!" _he pointed at Cedric _"Go change your Hyne damned clothes and take this to the FH junkshop!"_ he yelled, shoving the box into Cedric's arms, climbing over the railing.

- _"Y-y-yes, sir…" _Cedric stuttered, dashing away.

            Seifer strode away, a small path clearing as he passed by. Rinoa pulled Angelo behind her, following him.

- _"Well that was kind of rude…" _she scowled at him, frowning.

- _"**Look**." _Seifer said, turning around to her _"I've been sitting all morning and noon into a Hyne damned office, I've eaten **nothing** all day, I've been stumbling upon freaky Quistis look-alikes not to mention **MY** damned clone, I've come across a sight that's going to taint and torture my mind **forever** and **NOW** your little mutt made me run into the water and soak myself to the bone! CAN YOU **FUCKING** BLAME ME?!!!" _he yelled, breathing heavily.

- _"OK, OK…"_ said Rinoa, wincing from his shouts _"Oh! I know what's gonna make you feel better!"_

- _"A **dog** sacrifice?" _Seifer asked sarcastically, eyeing Angelo, who growled at him once more. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

- _"A concert." _she said wearily.

- _"Oh great! Just throw in a quick one to cheer me up!" _Seifer said, yet again with sarcasm literally dripping from his voice.

- _"There's **already** a concert taking place tonight, dummy!" _Rinoa snapped _"Just be in FH at eight o' clock sharp."_

            And with those words, Rinoa winked at him and strolled away towards her dorm. 

            Seifer stared at her for a bit, then shook his head in disbelief and headed towards his own dorm as well…

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer looked at his reflection on the mirror of his bathroom. After spending more that half an hour trying to gel his hair into shape, he'd finally made it. He straightened his deep green shirt, pulling the sleeves up to his elbows. He adjusted his faded, loose-fitting deep blue jeans. He smiled smugly at the sight before him and exited the bathroom, flicking the light off on his way out. He grabbed his wallet from the nightstand, slipping it down his back jean pocket. He took one last look in the mirror. He was ready to go. 

            He stepped out of his room and, taking a deep breath, walked further down the Dormitory corridor. He was determined to make a stunning appearance tonight, when he'd hand the brand new whip to- 

- _"Seifer?" _

            The chirpiness of the voice pierced right through his eardrums, making him freeze on spot **_'Aw, shit…' _**he cursed. Turning his head to his left, he saw Selphie, Zell and Rinoa all walking over to him. Selphie and Zell were dressed in casual attire, but Rinoa –Seifer noticed- was clad in her formal champagne yellow dress and wore high-heels. As all three of them approached, Seifer studied Rinoa, cocking an eyebrow.

- _"Going somewhere?" _he asked.

- _"Shouldn't **we** be asking that?" _retorted Rinoa, crossing her arms.

- _"My words exactly… Lookin' good tonight!" _Selphie noted **_'Well yeah, that was the fucking idea…' _**thought Seifer.

- _"I thought I'd just go out for a drink." _he lied.

- _"Ah! No you can't!" _Selphie exclaimed.

- _"And why the hell not?" _Seifer asked, chuckling.

- _"Because we've already planned something **for** you!"_ piped in Rinoa.

- _"Huh?" _Seifer said, puzzled.

- _"There's a concert goin' on in FH. And you should go." _said Zell, almost bored.

- _"I told you all about it, remember?" _asked Rinoa.

- _"Yeah I know… But I still think I'll go for a drink…" _Seifer insisted.

- _"Aw, c'mon! Everyone will be there! **Everyone**…" _Selphie said knowingly. Seifer shot her an impatient glare.

- _"Fine, I'll go…" _he said sighing.

- _"Great! Rinoa, your turn!" _Selphie said, turning over to Rinoa _"He's all yours!"  _ 

            Rinoa nodded in consent and walked over to a door close by. She straightened her dress and knocked lightly. Seifer cocked an eyebrow.

- _"Hey, isn't that room-"_ he began.

- _"Yes it is! Now let's go!" _Selphie interrupted him, dragging both blonds towards the main Hall.    

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer stood against a wall, arms folded, checking his watch. In front of him, Irvine was talking about something with Selphie. Seifer banged his head lightly on the wall in boredom, letting out a long sigh.

- _"Look, is there a fucking concert at all, or am I sitting here for nothing?" _he asked eventually.

- _"Relax, we're waiting for Squall and Rinoa. We can't begin without them." _said Selphie.

- _"Oh, great… We're gonna spend all night here waitin'…" _said Seifer, slipping his hands down his front pockets.

- _"She's gonna persuade him, I trust her." _insisted Selphie.

            Right on cue, Rinoa, along with a bored-looking Squall approached. Selphie squealed in delight upon seeing them. Irvine grinned and approached Squall starting to whisper something to him. After a few seconds, Squall pulled away, giving Irvine a half-shocked, half-angry glare. Irvine walked over to Selphie, near the stairway leading down to the stage. Squall walked over to the stairway as well, Rinoa following right behind him, but apparently, he'd chosen a bad time. Irvine turned around and glared at him, motioning him and Rinoa to leave.

- _"Come on, man!" _he hissed _"I'm about to make my move!"_

- _"What's up?" _Selphie piped in, completely oblivious of Irvine's plans.__

            Irvine winced and cursed under his teeth. He was just about to turn around and speak to Selphie, when the brunette grabbed a protesting Seifer's arm and dragged him down the stairway.

- _"Gee, thanks a lot!" _said Irvine sarcastically, trotting down the stairs as well.

            Squall and Rinoa chuckled, then followed Irvine towards the stage.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"Dammit Selphie, quit yanking me around! You're literally ripping my arm off!" _Seifer hissed at Selphie. 

- _"Close your eyes!" _Selphie said cheerfully.

- _"What for?!"_

- _"Close your eyes!" _Selphie insisted.

            Seifer groaned and decided to comply. He felt Selphie's hand guiding him blindly down the remaining stairs and then she stopped.

- _"Don't open them yet!" _she warned.

            She beckoned Irvine to come forwards and take his place on the stage silently. When Squall and Rinoa were almost there as well, she spoke to Seifer again.

- _"Count down to ten and open your eyes, OK?" _she said, letting go of his hand.

- _"*Sigh* OK…" _the blond said wearily.

            He folded his arms and counted down to ten as he was told to. When he was almost done, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around, only to find Squall and Rinoa. Squall shot Seifer a puzzled look, as if asking him what was going on, but Seifer simply shrugged. Rinoa motioned at both of them to look at the stage, where four dark silhouettes could be seen. Suddenly, the lights burst open and two pairs of eyebrows –brown and fair- arched. Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell were all up on stage, each holding a musical instrument on their hands, except for Selphie, who was sitting behind the piano in the back. 

- _"Squall, Seifer, you studs!" _Irvine said jokingly, through the microphone in front of him _"This is for you two! Congratulations! Enjoy the show!" _he finished, winking at them.

- _"Ready?! A-one-two-three…" _Selphie said, giving the small band the 'OK' to start playing.

            A soft song filled the night air of FH as the four young SeeDs began playing. It took Seifer a few moments to realize exactly which song they were playing. As soon as he did, his eyes moved over to Rinoa. She was beaming and her eyes were glistening. Her mother's song… Rinoa caught him looking at her and smiled at him. Seifer smiled back and turned his attention over to the stage. A chuckle escaped his lips, upon noticing Quistis up there, nervously 'scratching' the electric guitar **_'Oh, this is TOO good…' _**he thought, grinning. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around momentarily.

- _"Umm… Seifer?" _spoke Rinoa.

- _"Yeah?"_

- _"We uhh… We are going for a walk, OK? Do you mind being alone for a while?" _she asked.

- _"Nah, go right ahead…" _he said, turning his gaze back to the stage _"I've got something much better in mind…" _he added, smirking.

- _"OK, bye…" _she said, walking back towards Squall.

- _"Yo Leonhart!" _Seifer yelled, his eyes still plastered on the quartet. Squall turned around _"Careful, man. After she mates with you, she rips your head off…" _he added grinning.

            Seifer couldn't really make out what it was Rinoa had called him, because the loud sound of the concert and his own chuckles covered her words. He glanced back at them for one second, only to see them walking away. He looked back at the stage, cocking his head to the side. He smirked and locked his eyes upon a certain figure up on the stage, noticing her discomfort **_'That should be fun…'_** he thought.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Seifer was enjoying the song, leaning against a wall behind him. It had been a little while ago, that they'd begun to screw it up royally, but it didn't really surprise him. After that wink he'd shot at Quistis, he was certain she'd completely lost concentration –not to mention rhythm- 

- _"You're not sorry! You just wanna get the hell out of here, that's all! Geez! Why does it have to be like this?! Why?!"_

            Seifer turned around abruptly, catching glimpse of Rinoa –to whom the voice belonged to-, running right past him, going up the stairs in a hurry. The band immediately stopped playing, as they watched Squall walk away as well, brooding.

- _"Oh, bummer…"_ Selphie muttered _"Well, I guess that's it guys… Let's pack it up…" _she said dejectedly.

            She got up from the piano stool she'd been sitting behind. Irvine grabbed the sax he'd been playing from one hand, and began descending from the stage.

- _"Just leave the piano, Selph." _he addressed Selphie behind him _"We'll pick it up first thing in the morning before leaving…"_

            Zell slipped the bass strap across his chest, following Irvine. Quistis was the last one to come down from the stage, holding the guitar she'd been playing.

- _"And I'd been looking **soooo** forward to this show…"_ mumbled Selphie, hopping down the platform. 

- _"Hey, it wasn't that bad…" _said Seifer, grinning.

- _"Really?!" _Selphie said eagerly, looking up at him.

- _"Well… You **did** screw the song up in the end, but I blame Trepe for it…" _he replied, grinning _"No, strike that… Blame it on my deadly charms…" _he said, running a hand through his hair.

- _"Yes… I'm surprised I didn't lose my eye-sight from the horrific view…" _Quistis mumbled sarcastically, walking past him. 

- _"**Anyway**,"_ Seifer said, glaring at Quistis_ "It was fun; I enjoyed it."_ he added.

- _"Thanks." _said Selphie, a smile crawling up her lips.

            Everyone walked towards the stairway, when Seifer grabbed Quistis's arm, holding her back.

- _"Hey Selphie, we'll be right there in a sec, OK?"_ Seifer said, still holding Quistis.

- _"K…" _Selphie mumbled, not looking back.

- _"What? You didn't make enough fun of me right now?" _asked Quistis sarcastically.

- _"Meh… You weren't that bad…" _said Seifer shrugging _"I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a walk before getting back to Garden."_

- _"But… the curfew…" _Quistis said, checking her watch.

- _"Screw the curfew." _Seifer said casually _"If the Disciplinary Committee gets on your case, I'll use my 'Commander power' and erase your name from the list, OK?"_ he added, grinning.

- _"Alright…" _said Quistis, smiling, looking down to her feet.

- _"Here, I'll get that."_ said Seifer, taking the guitar from Quistis's grip, slipping the strap across his chest, leaving it hang behind his back _"D'you like ice-cream?" _he asked her.

- _"Who doesn't?" _replied Quistis, grinning.

- _"Come on then…" _he said, pulling her from the wrist.

                                                                                                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

- _"It's just that… I've always loved children… Maybe because my childhood wasn't a very happy one…" _said Quistis, tucking a stray blond lock behind her ear _"So I wanted to become someone who would guide them, but also be affectionate, listen when they have a problem… I guess that's why I've been getting many complaints from the board…The only thing that keeps me from not losing my job is the fact that my students have always had great success in the SeeD exam. Cid didn't want to lose me as an Instructor, so he suggested that he assigned me to Junior classmen. And I loved the idea, so I accepted." _

- _"If you don't mind me asking…" _said Seifer, licking his chocolate ice-cream _"You said your childhood wasn't a good one… Why? Problems with your parents?"_

- _"I don't know why, but… I was just never able to love them…" _said Quistis shrugging _"They weren't bad people, but for some reason I could never… I know it must sound weird…"_

- _"No, not at all…" _said Seifer.

- _"Anyway, things weren't going so well at home… I was doing very well at school and my parents wanted me to go into __Law__School__, or __Medical__School__. Anything with 'prestige' as they put it. As I said, they weren't bad people, but they cared too much about their social profile. Sometimes I wondered if they cared about it more than they cared about me… Which was probably true… And that's why I decided to leave. I heard about Garden, and applied secretly. When I got in, they couldn't hold me back. And quite frankly, I think they were relieved to let me go…" _Quistis replied gloomily.

- _"Have you kept in touch with them?" _asked Seifer.

- _"No. I haven't spoken to them in years." _replied Quistis _"And the weirdest thing is… I don't even remember what they looked like… It's frightening…"_

- _"Maybe you just… didn't want to… So you chose to forget…" _suggested Seifer.

- _"Yeah… maybe…" _said Quistis _"I feel like we've been talking about me all night… What about you? What were your parents like?"_

- _"I don't have any…" _Seifer said. He chuckled _"I mean… I **do** have parents, but I never met them."_

- _"You're an orphan?" _Quistis asked, looking at him.

- _"I… I suppose… I can't remember ever having any parents… That's why I came so early in Garden I guess…" _he said, shrugging _"The only person I **do** remember, although quite vaguely, is a woman… This **beautiful** woman with long, silky, black hair and amber eyes…Perhaps my mother…" _he added, voice somewhat dreamy and full of melancholy.

- _"Then I guess you're the replica of your father…" _said Quistis grinning _"If that woman was your mother, then you look nothing like her. You're blond and have green eyes…"_

- _"Well, not **nothing** like her…" _said Seifer, grinning smugly _"I **did** say she was beautiful…" _

            Quistis laughed heartily. Seifer looked at her, smiling broadly. 

            The two walked along the main street of FH. The alleys were deserted even at this early hour and only a few street lamps provided light. Quistis's beige, loose-fitting blouse was being blown away by the light night breeze. She slipped one palm into the back pocket of her light blue jeans, holding her vanilla ice-cream cone with the other. Her ponytail-worn hair was being swished away by the wind as well, nose and cheeks flushed from the slightly chilly atmosphere. 

- _"I don't think I've ever eaten ice-cream so early before… It's hardly February…" _she said.

- _"Yeah, but it's quite warm here in FH, isn't it?" _said Seifer.

- _"That's true… I've never been so far away from Balamb before… Except for one time where I went to __Deling__City__ for a mission."_ she said _"I'd like to get the chance to see Centra, Trabia, more of Galbadia… Maybe even Esthar if it weren't hidden…"_

- _"I've been to Trabia once." _said Seifer, sucking the last remaining droplets of ice-cream from the bottom of his cone _"Not that much fun…" _he said, shoving it into his mouth _"Cold." _he added, a cone crumb falling off his mouth.

            He turned to his side and noticed they'd reached the junkshop. The lights were still on.

- _"Wait here for a sec…" _Seifer said, grinning, running towards the shop.

            Quistis looked at him puzzled. Why was he going into a junk shop at this hour? He wasn't even carrying Hyperion with him. Finishing up her ice-cream, she slowly approached the shop, when Seifer emerged, holding a box in his hands.

- _"Here." _he said, handing her the box, grinning.

- _"What's this?" _she asked.

- _"Just open it…" _

            Quistis shrugged and, full of curiosity, opened the lid of the plain white box Seifer had brought her. Inside, lay a golden plated case. Creasing her eyebrows, Quistis left the box aside and squinted, trying to make out the carving on the case.

**_                                                                                                                                 'Save The Queen' model No67_**

**_                                                                                                                                          Owner: Quistis Trepe_**

            Quistis's eyes widened and with trembling fingers, she opened the case. Her lips parted, when inside, she found the latest and best model of a whip, the 'Save the Queen' model. It was almost impossible to get a hold of one of these. The items required were extremely rare, so only about a hundred of them could be found in the market in a VERY high price. Trying to get the items by one's self was even more difficult, as they could only be obtained from very dangerous and high-leveled monsters. 

            Seifer smirked upon seeing Quistis' expression; she obviously loved his gift…

- _"Seifer… I… I don't… I don't know what to say…"_ she mumbled.

- _"It's nothing,"_ he said, rubbing the back of his hair awkwardly _"Just something to replace your old one, since you liked it so much…"_

- _"B-but… My old one was a Red Scorpion and **believe** me; it's **nothing** compared to this…"_ she said, still looking at the yellowish-green whip in awe.

- _"Yeah, well… Glad you like it…"_ he said shyly.

- _"Seifer, I can't accept this,"_ Quistis said, looking up at him _"It must have cost you a fortune…"_

- _"Yeah you can. I have no use for a whip anyway, so it'll just go to waste if you don't accept it."_ he said plainly _"Just… consider it a *mumble* present."_

- _"A what?"_ she asked, not having heard well.

- _"A *mumble* you present…" _Seifer said quietly, looking down at the ground.

- _"What?" _

- _"A 'Thank you' present!" _Seifer snapped, his eyes shooting open.

- _"Oh." _Quistis said, feeling completely speechless _"But… What are you thanking me for?"_

- _"For… For… Meh, forget it…I was the reason you lost your whip in the first place so, just take it." _he said, trying to change the subject.

- _"Why do you think you're the-"_ Quistis began.

- _"Will you just take the damned thing?!" _Seifer said impatiently.

- _"Yes, of course…"_ said Quistis smiling, deciding not to bring him in an even more awkward position than he already was.

            She ran her hand across the smooth surface of the case, then turned her gaze upon him.

            She chuckled.

- _"What?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"Umm… You've got a little…" _Quistis said, grinning.

- _"A little what?" _asked Seifer.

- _"A little… chocolate smudge…"_ Quistis said, pointing at the tip of her bottom lip.

            Seifer began licking his lip on the wrong side.

- _"Wait, I'll get it…" _Quistis said.

            She gently ran the tip of her index finger, across Seifer's bottom lip, wiping away the small chocolate smudge smearing his skin. Grinning, she licked her finger clean.

- _"There." _she said, voice barely above a whisper. 

            It didn't take her long to realize how close they were standing. Their chests were practically touching. Seifer seemed to have noticed that as well.

            He closed his eyes momentarily, as the smell of her perfume and hair intoxicated his mind. He re-opened them, only to find her looking up at him.

            Hesitating, his lips twitched upwards the slightest bit and he leaned in closer to her. 

- _"Instructor Trepe! Instructor Trepe!"_

            Seifer and Quistis flinched and took a step away from each other, jerking their heads towards the direction of the voice.

            A girl clad in a uniform identical to Quistis's, was approaching them and –as expected- had blond hair and blue eyes as well.

            Quistis sighed.

- _"Oh dear…" _she mumbled. 

- _"Instructor Trepe! I won the contest! Isn't that wonderful?!" _she exclaimed, once approaching them.

            Quistis ran a palm down her face.

- _"May I ask what you're doing out of Garden limits after curfew?!" _Seifer asked, arms crossed, glaring at the girl.

- _"Umm… It's not curfew yet, Commander."_ the girl replied _"It's still __8:56 p.m.__ Curfew doesn't begin until nine…"_

- _"Melinda…" _Quistis interrupted _"How did you find me out here?"_

- _"Oh, we all saw miss Tilmitt on her way back from the concert and she told us where you were…" _Melinda replied.

- _"'We'?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"The fan club Committee!" _exclaimed Melinda _"They were all right behind me, but I ran to catch up with you!"_

            Seifer's gaze turned to his side, where a bunch of kids were running towards them.

            He slapped a hand on his forehead **_'This just isn't my day…'_**

* * *

**A/N:** Bad day for Seifer, eh? Meh, hopefully he made you crack a grin or two… ^_~

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_As B-Garden continues its journey, they come across a few Galbadian troops stationed in Balamb._

_And chaos ensues…_

_Beware the massiveness of the next chapter! :-p_


	23. Chapter 22: Balamb's liberation

**A/N:** What's up guys?

This is the biggest chapter I've ever written so far. It's about 10800 words… Yup, it's pretty much huge. But once you read it, you'll understand why I couldn't cut it off.

There are a few Irvine x Selphie moments, as well as a Squall x Rinoa moment in there, so fans of these pairings, I hope you enjoy! 

On final note… Will ffnet **ever** stop screwing up the format over and over?!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer orders a new whip for Quistis, the Trepies organize a Quistis look-alike contest, and things in Garden get a **tad** out of control…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                        A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                        By: Sickness in Salvation

**                                                                                                                                 Chapter 22: Balamb's liberation**

* * *

* * *

- _"Steady… Steady… Ah, NO! BE CAREFUL!" _Selphie shrieked.

            She was standing on top of the FH platform, guiding the crane technician to hoist the piano from the concert back in Garden. The piano had almost hit the wall next to the wide open window of the ballroom where it was to be placed, hence Selphie's cry. Slowly, guided by her, the technician skillfully slid the instrument through the window, where it was taken care of, by some students participating in the Garden Festival.

- _"Ahh… Great, all done." _Selphie said, smiling.

- _"Hey, Selph. Everything set?" _Irvine called her, standing right underneath the platform.

- _"Yup! We've cleared up the place! Now we can get goin'!"_ she chirped.

            She began to descend the platform in small hops. Irvine extended his arm for her to grab. Selphie did so and jumped down towards him, who caught her by the waist. She giggled as he slowly lowered her down, bringing her face level with his. He grinned at her mischievously, holding her close to him.

- _"You can put me down now…" _Selphie said, smiling.

- _"Just a bit longer…" _Irvine said playfully.

- _"Irvy…" _Selphie said giggling, rolling her eyes.

            She pulled his hat down and squirmed slightly, becoming free of his grip. Irvine groaned and fixed his hat back in place.

- _"Come on, we need to get back so we can leave." _Selphie said, grabbing his hand. 

* * *

- _"So, are ready to go?" _Nida asked the two Commanders.

- _"Yes. Set a course for __Balamb__City__, Nida." _Squall replied.__

- _"Yes, sir." _said Nida, turning around to the steering mechanism.__

- _"I'll inform everyone about our destination, then." _Seifer said, receiving a nod from Squall.__

            The blond walked towards the PA, turning it on.

- _"Morning everyone, this is Commander Almasy speaking." _Seifer said. Next to him, Squall rolled his eyes **_'Why couldn't he have gone with simply Seifer? Sheesh…' _**_"We're now leaving FH since the repairs are done. We're heading back to Balamb to check out the situation. This is roughly a two-day trip and we won't be making any stops, so make sure you have everything you need. That is all."_

            Seifer switched the PA off. 

- _"Are you done then, **Commander Almasy**?" _Xu asked in a mocking tone. Seifer glared at her.

- _"Courier…" _he said playfully.

- _"Trepies…" _she responded in the same manner.

            Seifer gritted his teeth **_'Bitch.'_** and walked over to the elevator, heading downstairs. 

            Smirking, Xu turned her attention out to the view visible from the glass walls. The Garden's engines hummed and the golden ring once crowning the foundation began spinning slowly at first. The academy gradually became airborne, rising from the sea surface. A small whirlpool was created onto the water from the exhaust steam the Garden left behind on its trail, until it rose up and soared away…

* * *

_                                                                                                                                                Ring Ring_

            Seifer squirmed in bed.

_                                                                                                                                                Ring Ring_

            He poked his head out of the covers. It was still very dark.

_                                                                                                                                                Ring Ring_

            He looked at the electronic clock on his nightstand. The neon blue numbers read 1:27 a.m. 

_                                                                                                                                                Ring Ring_

            Grunting, he slammed his palm onto the receiver of the black phone on the nightstand, bringing it to his ear.

- _"What?" _he said sleepily, letting out a big yawn.

- _"Commander Almasy, sir, this is Gerald Anderson from the night-watch Squad." _said a male voice.

- _"Yeah…?" _said Seifer, rubbing his eyes open.

- _"The bridge team has received something on the radars that you should probably check out." _said the man _"We've also informed Commander Leonhart and he's on his way up here."_

- _"Fine, I'm comin'…" _Seifer mumbled, putting the receiver back in its place.

            He lazily got up from bed, heading to the bathroom. He threw some water on his face and checked out his reflection **_'Damn, I need shaving…' _**he thought, touching his cheeks, which had short stinging hair protruding from the surface. Rubbing the back of his hair, he walked back inside the room, putting a grey T-shirt and black sweatpants on. He slipped his feet inside a pair of black trainers, not bothering to tie up the laces, grabbed his key-card and left the dorm. 

            The walk to the bridge was a quiet and boring one. The corridors were naturally deserted and only the sound of his shoes against the floors made any sound within the silence of the night. Walking inside the elevator, he rested his back against the walls, pressing the button to the 3rd floor. His eyes would only open half the way up. Damn he was tired… The previous day had been a stretch. Some kid accidentally made the fire alarm go off and they had to stop and evacuate the top floors. Within the chaos that ensued, seeing as they could not disembark out in the open sea, he and Squall had to be the ones to keep the order, which was **not** an easy task. After realizing what had caused all the raucous, they'd resumed their journey. It had only been a day since they'd left FH and they should be approaching Balamb grounds early in the morning. Right now, the Garden had 'anchored' in mid-sea, since the only available pilot was Nida and he needed to get some rest. Seifer made a mental note of discussing the issue of training more Garden pilots with Squall.

            A small ring brought him back to reality, as the elevator reached the last floor and the doors slid open. He walked inside, looking around to spot anyone, when he heard voices from the bridge upstairs. He headed towards the small lift and ascended. 

            He found Squall already there, dressed in a pair of sweatpants. He'd thrown his favorite coat over his bare torso **_'Man, does the guy _ever_ let go of that coat?'_** Seifer thought. Squall was talking to one of the radar specialists of the bridge team. Another one was sitting behind a console, headphones on, eyes focused on the black and bright green screen. Everyone's attention turned to Seifer the moment he stepped up.

- _"What's wrong? What did the radar pick up?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"We've been getting signal from a massive aircraft, sir." _replied the man Squall had been talking to _"It's quite far way; the signal has weakened by now, but we thought you should know."_

- _"G-Garden?" _Seifer addressed Squall.

- _"My guess as well."_ Squall replied _"Since we know that they're on the move by now, too."_

- _"Where are they heading?" _Seifer asked the man.

- _"They were not very far away from us, but now their signal is almost gone." _he replied _"They could be heading to northern Galbadia, Centra maybe…"_

- _"That does not change our current course, though, does it?"_ Seifer asked Squall.

- _"No, I think we still need to visit Balamb first and then go look for them." _Squall replied.

- _"Alright. Should we inform the students tomorrow?" _asked the man.

- _"No, that'll just cause mayhem. Keep it hushed." _replied Seifer _"So, is there anything else?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Well, I just noticed that one of the exits has been accessed." _Squall said.

- _"Which one?" _Seifer asked, frowning.

- _"The one next to the emergency exit on the 2nd floor." _Squall replied.

- _"How could a student have accessed that?" _Seifer asked, puzzled.

- _"I dunno; I was just about to go check it out."_ Squall said.

- _"Save it, I'll go. I could use a scared kid to bitch at right now…" _Seifer said smirking _"**Someone** has to pay for the fact that I woke up at this hour…"_ he added, stepping onto the lift.

            Behind him, Squall shook his head in disbelief. He bid the two men farewell and left as well.

* * *

            Seifer stepped outside the elevator onto the 2nd floor. Walking down the empty corridor, he took the right turn. He passed by the classrooms and the emergency exit, coming face to face with the door which had been accessed. The light on the door was indeed green, instead of red, as it should be. Frowning, Seifer pressed the 'Open' button. A cold breeze rushed onto his face; that door led to a small balcony, without any protective walls around. He stepped up the very few stairs and walked onto the balcony.

            He came face to face with… Quistis. She was resting her arms onto the railing, staring at the view before her. Balamb City was visible from afar, a small compilation of lights, shining against the dark night sky, reflected upon the sea surface. The air was blowing her hair away, as she tilted her head to the side, wrapping her bare shoulders tighter with the deep crimson shawl she was holding. A loose, coral pair of pajama bottoms was hugging her legs, touching the floor over her white sneakers.

- _"When I said 'Screw the curfew'," _Seifer spoke, making her turn around abruptly _"I meant about yesterday… I can't cover you all the time, you know…"_ he said grinning, approaching her.

- _"Hey…" _Quistis said, blushing _"Sorry… I just needed some fresh air."_

- _"Isn't that what the 'Secret Area' is for?" _Seifer asked, leaning against the railing next to her.

- _"Tried… Full of couples…" _Quistis replied, chuckling.

- _"Fair enough…" _Seifer said, turning his gaze towards the view as well.

- _"Did I cause any trouble?" _Quistis asked.

- _"Not really…" _replied Seifer _"We were called up the bridge to check something out in the radar and noticed this exit had been accessed."_

- _"Anything wrong?" _asked Quistis worriedly.

- _"We think we spotted G-Garden, but their signal is almost gone. They were headed south. We decided we won't change our course yet; we're still visiting Balamb. We'll worry about Galbadians later." _Seifer replied _"But don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be secret, because otherwise we might cause chaos among the students for nothing."_

- _"I understand…" _Quistis said, nodding.

- _"Pause So… How's teaching going?" _Seifer asked her.

- _"Really well… I like working with children more…"_

- _"Yeah… You don't run the risk of coming across another little shit like me that way, huh?" _Seifer asked jokingly. Quistis chuckled.

- _"Oh Seifer…" _she said, looking at him _"You weren't as bad as you think you were…"_

- _"Really?" _Seifer asked, leaning closer to her. Quistis looked deep into his eyes.

- _"Really…" _she whispered.

            Seifer smiled at her. Before she knew it, his nose touched her cheek, rubbing affectionately against it. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, only seconds before she felt his lips brush against hers. She didn't resist. Instead, she reciprocated, parting her lips wider for him. She heard Seifer sigh and felt his tongue massaging hers gently. The breeze blew her hair, making them sway and caress Seifer's cheek in tender movements. His crooked finger slowly began to caress her neck, before his palm moved to her nape, pulling her closer.

            She wanted to allow herself be drawn into the moment, but something inside her made her pull back. Seifer gasped lightly and opened his eyes.

- _"No…" _Quistis mumbled, stepping backwards _"I shouldn't have done that…"_

- _"Why? What's wrong?" _Seifer asked gently, trying to touch her shoulder. Quistis flinched.

- _"I… I… It's not fair to you…" _she said.

- _"But-"_

- _"I don't know if I did this because I feel anything or because of what you've done for me lately." _Quistis interrupted him _"And that's not fair to you."_

- _"Quistis…"_

- _"I'm sorry." _she said, turning her heel.

            Seifer watched her sprint to the door and disappear through it. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. He looked back at the view before him, dejected. He closed his eyes and cursed, lading a hard kick at the railing…

* * *

 

            

_                                                                                                                                       The following morning…_

            Nida maneuvered the steering mechanism smoothly, finally landing the Garden on the beach near the city, securing it. He turned around and faced Squall and Seifer who were standing behind him.

- _"All clear. We're ready to disembark." _Nida spoke.

- _"Good. We'll send a team to check it out first and then allow the students to visit the city." _said Squall, turning to Seifer for reassurance.

- _"Sure…" _the blond said, shrugging _"Just make sure you inform them before opening the gates." _

            The blond walked over to the lift, heading downstairs. Everyone watched him descend to the 3rd floor, staring at him puzzled.

- _"Isn't he the quiet one today…"_ Xu said, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Think there's something wrong with him?" _Nida asked.

- _"Not that I care, but… Sigh Shouldn't you check upon him, Squall?" _Xu asked.

- _"Yeah, whatever… Xu, inform the students." _Squall said, leaving the bridge as well.

            The brown-haired Commander walked over to the office, pushing the ajar door open. He found Seifer sitting on his chair, which he'd turned around to face the window, looking outside. Squall cleared his throat audibly.

- _"So, uhh… We'll be sending Zell and someone else to check out the city." _he said.

- _"OK." _Seifer said, not turning around.

- _"One of us should go, too." _

- _"Sure…"._

- _"So are you going or should I go?" _asked Squall.

- _"Whatever you want, Squall…"_

            Squall arched both eyebrows **_'Whatever you want, Squall?! What the…? Something must be really wrong. One, he didn't sound sarcastic at all. Two, he asked _me_ to decide. And three… he called me _Squall_.' _**he thought.

- _"Everything alright?" _Squall asked.

- _"Yeah sure, whatever you want…" _Seifer said.

            **_'Great. He's not listening to a word I'm saying, either.' _**Squall thought **_'What the hell is up with him all of a sudden?'_**

- _"So maybe **I** should go with Zell." _Squall suggested. 

            Seifer finally turned around. He seemed to be thinking deeply. If he stayed in Garden, he ran the risk of stumbling across Quistis and that was the last thing he wanted right now. Perhaps some fresh air would do him some good…

- _"If you don't mind, I think I'll go." _Seifer replied. 

            Squall was visibly taken aback by the politeness in Seifer's words.

- _"Yeah, sure. You can go." _Squall said _"Just take Zell and someone else with you."_

- _"I'll let him decide." _Seifer said, pushing a button on his intercom.

- _"Yes?" _Xu's voice came distorted through the intercom.

- _"Xu, could you call Zell up to the bridge? Tell him to bring someone else as well. We're going to Balamb." _Seifer spoke.

- _"E-e-excuse me?" _Xu asked, obviously utterly surprised.

- _"Call up Zell to the office and tell him to bring another member to check out __Balamb__, __OK__?" _Seifer repeated, totally calm.

- _"Umm… OK, Seifer." _Xu replied.

            The blond retreated his finger from the intercom and turned his gaze to the view outside the window again.

            If it was humanely possible, Squall's jaw would have hit the floor right about now. And considering his expressionless façade, that said a lot. The regular Seifer, would have been cranky about having to get up early, would have probably thrown a bunch of smart-ass comments to Xu and himself up to this hour, would have insisted on making the decision about the Balamb team, would have referred to Zell as Chicken-wuss and would have **never** spoken to Xu like that through the intercom. Squall was never one to really care about other people's moods, but hell, this 'new' Seifer was starting to get on his nerves! Even though he didn't want to admit it, their daily bickering was a routine by now; something he was used to and not even bothered by anymore.

            He took a couple of steps forward, never breaking eye-contact with Seifer's downcast face. 

- _"Hey… Are you OK?" _he asked.

            Seifer slowly turned around and stared at Squall's concerned expression, bewildered. His lips twitched upwards and he begun grinning, then chuckling, then… laughing. Squall grinned awkwardly, still staring at Seifer **_'OK, now this has gotten plain weird…' _**he thought.

- _"Thanks for the cheer-up… You're hilarious when you take that expression…" _Seifer said, in between chuckles _"Never seen it before…"_

            Instead of getting mad, Squall grinned once again. At least he was beginning to sound like the 'old' him…

            The door knocked and soon opened, revealing Zell and Rinoa behind it.

- _"Morning!" _Rinoa said cheerfully, waving at both of them.

- _"Hey. I decided to bring Rinoa over." _Zell said.

- _"I just wanted to visit Balamb since I've never been there before. Heard it's beautiful." _she said.

- _"Alright. Are you two ready?"_ Seifer asked, getting up.

- _"Yup." _Zell replied.

- _"OK. I'm coming with you. Let's go." _the blond said.

* * *

            The trio made their way off Garden, down the short path leading to the city and through the Gates. 

- _"Zell, let me do the talking at first, OK?"_ Seifer asked, right before entering the city.

- _"Uhh… OK. Sure." _Zell replied, shrugging.

            The moment Seifer turned back around, Zell and Rinoa shot each other bemused looks.

- _"What's with the kindness all of a sudden?" _Zell whispered to Rinoa.

- _"I dunno!" _the girl replied, shaking her head.

            As soon as they stepped within the limits of the city, they were greeted with a nasty surprise. A middle-aged couple was standing outside, by the gas-station, while a Galbadian soldier was guarding the entrance, next to a truck.

- _"What the…?" _Seifer said, creasing his forehead.

- _"What's going on here?!" _Zell asked out loud, stopping in his tracks.

- _"Umm… That guard isn't supposed to be there, right?" _Rinoa whispered to Seifer.

- _"No, of course not." _the blond replied.

            The couple standing outside was talking. Being right next to them, they overheard their discussion.

- _"I don't know what to do! What's happening to this town?! When can we go in?! If I knew this was going to happen, I would have brought our daughter with us! I hope she's all right…" _the woman said worriedly_ "Ohh…I hope grandpa's taking care of her…"_

            Noticing the three standing next to them, the man turned around and spoke.

- _"We were forced out of town days ago." _he informed them_ "Our daughter's still at home, but there's nothing we can do. With all these soldiers from Galbadia, you've got to stop and wonder whether Galbadia fell to the hands of the sorceress."_

- _"Oh, that's terrible!" _said Rinoa, frowning.

- _"So… No-one's allowed in? Not even citizens?" _asked Seifer.

- _"No! We are citizens and they won't let us in!" _the woman protested.

- _"Thank you for the information." _Seifer said.

            He walked over to the Galbadian soldier, when Zell stepped up in front.

- _"Yo…! What's goin' on in there?!" _he asked.__

- _"This town is under the control of Sorceress Edea!" _the soldier replied_ "The town is off-limits while we conduct our investigation! It will last for several days! Once we're through with our investigation here, you're next. So just stay out and stay put!" _he added, frowning_ "You guys look suspicious. What are you doing here?"_

- _"What's Galbadia doing in a town like this?" _Seifer asked.__

- _"What do you want? Are you residents here?" _the Galbadian asked.__

- _"YEAH, that's right! At least residents should be allowed in!" _Zell protested.__

- _"It's OFF-LIMITS!" _the soldier repeated_ "You cannot enter or leave. Do you understand?!"_

- _"Hah?! Who do you think you're talkin' to?" _Zell yelled, fuming.__

            Seifer gently pushed Zell aside, motioning to him to be quiet. He walked over to the Galbadian. He'd have to try a different approach to the matter…

- _"What? What is it now?" _the soldier asked, agitated.__

- _"So… The town's off-limits, eh?" _Seifer asked, crossing his arms_ "Then I suppose we can't deliver a message, either…Your loss…" _he added, shaking his head_ "We were willing to provide some info on Ellone…" _he said, pretending to be casual about it.__

- _"W-What? Elle…Wait a minute!" _the soldier stuttered_ "Tell me everything you know about her! Do you actually know who she is?"_

- _"Ahh, but I can't just let it spill so easy…" _Seifer said meaningfully_ "I'll make ya a deal. You let us go in and I find your superior and tell him everything I know…"_

            The Galbadian seemed to hesitate.

- _"Hey, it's either that or we're outta here…" _Seifer said.

- _"OK, OK!" _the soldier protested_ "Go talk to the Captain. He'll probably be at the hotel. You will be rewarded_."     

            Seifer nodded at him and motioned the other two to follow him.

- _"Smooth…" _Rinoa whispered to Seifer, grinning.

- _"You're not **really** gonna tell them about Ellone, are ya?" _Zell asked.

- _"Of course not." _Seifer replied _"All we needed was to get in. Now we find this Captain fellow and proceed into 'aggressive negotiations'…" _he added, smirking.

- _"Yo, can we go visit my place for just a tiny bit?" _asked Zell _"I wanna see how my Ma's doin'." _

- _"Sure, where does she live?" _asked Seifer.

- _"It's right over there!" _Zell said, pointing at the door to his house.

            He sprinted over to the door, slipping his hand into his pocket. He retrieved his key and slid it through the door, opening it. Seifer and Rinoa followed behind him, looking around the house.

- _"Ma! I'm home!" _Zell called.

            The hall and kitchen were empty. Puzzled, Zell looked around. He made a turn and headed towards the living room. His mother was sitting inside, along with another woman and her young son.

- _"Ma! You're safe!" _Zell exclaimed, running over to her, hugging her tightly.

- _"Zell!" _Ma Dincht said in delight_ "How on earth did you get into town?!"_

- _"It's all in the brains, ma." _Zell replied, pulling away_ "We just said we had some info on Ellone. Piece o' cake!"_

- _"What a relief… I was worried you might have beaten up one of the guards." _Zell's mother said, sighing. Rinoagiggled_ "The soldiers have threatened that the sorceress will burn the town to the ground, should there be any disturbance."_

- _"Is the Sorceress here?" _Seifer asked immediately.__

- _"No, but they soldiers keep talking about her." _Ma Dincht replied.__

- _"Leave it to me! I'll get rid of those jokers!" _Zell said valiantly.__

- _"Zell, where are your manners?" _Ma Dincht scowled _"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"_

- _"Oh, yeah!" _Zell said, slapping his forehead _"This is Rinoa Heartilly…" _he said, pointing at Rinoa.__

- _"Hi!" _Rinoa said smiling, waving chirpily.__

- _"And this is Seifer Almasy, one of the two Commanders in our Garden." _Zell added.__

- _"Nice to meet you." _Seifer said, nodding at her.__

- _"And this is Celeste and her son, Damien." _Ma Dincht said, introducing the two other people in her living room.__

            The woman nodded and her son, waved at them.

- _"Yo, Zell!" _Damien exclaimed _"I've been practicin' my special move just for a day like this! HYEEE-YAAA! SuuuPER-MIRACLE-KiiiCK!!!"_ the little boy said, performing a kick in the air.

            Rinoa and Seifer chuckled.

- _"You came in just in time for lunch." _Ma Dincht said _"Why don't you come over the kitchen?"_

- _"We'd love to, but we need to see the Galbadian Captain ASAP." _replied Seifer.__

- _"And worse comes to worse, we might need to fight them." _Rinoa added.__

- _"But we'll definitely come back and visit again…" _Seifer said, smiling warmly.__

- _"Tell that to Zell… Sometimes I think he forgets he even has a mother…" _Ma Dincht said, arching an eyebrow towards her son.__

- _"Ma…" _Zell whined tiredly.__

- _"Zell might not express it, but I'm sure he's very grateful and honored to have such a caring mother…" _Seifer added, smirking at Zell.__

- _"Oh Zell… How come you never bring such kind friends of yours over?" _Ma Dincht asked.__

            Zell widened his eyes **_'What the… Does my mom actually LIKE Seifer?! I bet that bastard is only acting goody-goody to her to get on my nerves…'_**

- _"Oh, well…" _Ma Dincht said _"Make sure you take care Zell, you hear?"_

- _"Yes ma…" _Zell replied, heading towards the door.__

- _"And be careful!" _she called, as they exited the living room.__

* * *

- _"Your mom's really nice!" _Rinoa said smiling, once they'd left the house.

- _"You should try her cookin', too! **That's** what's reeeealy nice…" _Zell replied, grinning.

- _"Focus people, we've got work to do." _Seifer said, heading towards the hotel.

- _"Ah, spoken like a true Commander!" _Rinoa said, giggling. 

            Seifer shot her a mock-glare and kept walking. Soon, they were outside the Hotel entrance, which was guarded by two soldiers. As soon as they approached them, the sentries held their weapons on guard.

- _"What do you want?! If it's the Captain you're looking for, I have strict orders not to let anyone through." _said one of them.__

- _"Even if that 'anyone' has info on Ellone?" _Seifer asked meaningfully.__

- _"…What? Information about Ellone? Hmmmm… More rumors?" _the other said.__

- _"You know that we'll get a salary cut if we let' em through without confirmation." _said the first one.__

- _"Yeah, I know… In this army your salary gets cut based on just how the boss is feeling… I guess it goes with the territory when you can't choose your own boss."_

- _"Yo, listen!" _Zell piped in_ "We have top secret info! Bring the Captain out here!"_

- _"These guys are kinda… suspicious, huh?" _the first soldier told the other one.__

- _"Yeah, totally." _he agreed.__

- _"Have some respect for the captain! The captain is currently on patrol!" _snapped the other one.__

- _"The captain will be sure to reward you. He'll also take full responsibility… Go talk to him." _said the other soldier.__

- _"Fine. Come on." _Seifer told Rinoa and Zell.__

            Leaving the Hotel area, the three made their way back towards the city square.

- _"So now what?" _asked Rinoa _"Are we just gonna keep looking for that Captain guy?"_

- _"Well, we've got no choice." _replied Seifer _"If we get **him**, then we've got them all in our hands. Without their Captain they'll be lost."_

- _"OK, but where do we start lookin'?" _asked Zell.__

- _"Hey, check that out…" _Rinoa said, pointing towards the harbor _"What's with the huge ship?" _

- _"Ship?" _Seifer asked, turning around.__

            He noticed one great vessel anchored within the small harbor of Balamb, brandishing the Galbadian emblem.

- _"You mean the **battleship**?" _Seifer asked, arching a sarcastic eyebrow.

- _"Yeah, whatever…" _Rinoa replied.

- _"Hmmm… Dunno… Why would they bring cargo over to Balamb?" _Seifer said.

- _"Surely they're not thinking about stationing troops here, right?" _Zell asked.

- _"I don't think so…" _Seifer said.

- _"Why don't we go check it out?" _Rinoa suggested.

- _"Yeah, let's go." _Seifer agreed.

* * *

            The tall blond led the small team, walking down the harbor area, towards the few soldiers hanging around. One of them, seemed to be a superior. The moment they were spotted, the latter approached them, face austere, checking them out.

- _"Who are you three?"_ he asked _"What are you doing here?"_

- _"We're here to investigate the situation of the city." _Seifer replied, crossing his arms _"What are **you** doing here? By whose authority are you taking over the town?"_

- _"By the authority of the Sorceress, **sonny**." _the man said, stressing that last word mockingly _"By whose authority are **you** inspecting the city?"_

- _"By the authority of __Balamb__Garden__ SeeDs, mister." _Zell piped in.__

- _"SeeDs?!" _the Galbadian hissed.__

- _"Where's your Captain? We'll only talk with him." _Seifer said.__

- _"Who the hell let you in?!" _the man shouted.__

- _"I said: We'll only talk with the Captain. Bring him over here, **now**." _ Seifer demanded, frowning.__

- _"You're **looking** at the Captain, boy!" _the man replied _"And you're about to pay for your insolence! Men!"_

            Immediately, the three soldiers loitering around approached their Captain, taking out their swords.

- _"Get rid of those kids." _the Captain said casually, stepping aside.

            Seifer, Zell and Rinoa took a step backwards, drawing out their weapons.

- _"Come and get it, you jokers!" _Zell beckoned them to move forward.

            The first soldier lunged at Zell, who merely performed a kick in the air, getting the soldier right on the head. Zell grabbed him from the shirt and began punching the shit out of him.

- _"Thought you could mess around with **my** town?!" _Zell hissed, throwing continuous punches at the man's face.

            Meanwhile, the second soldier attacked Rinoa. He brought his sword down at her, but the girl avoided the blow easily, jumping to the ground and rolling away. She got back up on her feet, landing a hard hit with her weapon onto the back of the Galbadian's head.

- _"Fira!" _she shouted, extending her arm towards him.

            An amber trail of fire emerged from the ground, moving stealthily from Rinoa's feet towards the soldier.

            Seifer's opponent didn't even have the time to make a second move. He swung his sword across the air once, only to see Seifer quickly duck and emerge back up, slicing his head off with ease. The blond shook the blood off Hyperion with one sharp swing, watching the Galbadian's head roll off onto the ground. Turning to his side, he saw the bad burns on the soldier's skin after Rinoa was done with him. The man was twitching onto the ground. Trotting over to his side, Seifer put an end to his torment by plunging Hyperion down to the man's chest. A whimper was all that was heard from him, before a trail of blood appeared dripping from his lips and his head lay lifeless to the side. Zell let go of his opponent who had long ago passed out and followed Seifer and Rinoa towards the horrified Captain.

            Seifer grabbed the man from the shirt, pulling him up to his level. He brought his gunblade next to the Captain's neck and spoke.

- _"Now… If you want to live to see your motherfucking ass skedaddle out of this town, you're going to order your troops to retreat, nice and easy." _he growled at him.

- _"I don't think so…"_ the Captain said, with what little courage was left within him _"BRING OUT THE BLACK WIDOWS!" _he yelled.

            Enraged, Seifer slashed his throat with his weapon, throwing him onto the ground lifeless.

            The three mercenaries stood still in front of the great battleship anchored before them, as the hangar doors slowly slid open.

- _"What the hell are 'Black Widows'?" _Zell asked.

- _"Wait…" _Seifer said _"I think I've heard of the name before…"_

            The blond fell in deep thought, searching through the memories of his training, trying to remember where he'd about that before. His mind struggled and struggled, going through endless lectures and countless manual pages **_'Black Widow… Black widow… Wait. Galbadian machinery… Robots… X-ATM092, otherwise known as the 'Black Widow'…' _**Seifer's eyes widened as he brought in mind the image right next to that particular excerpt of the SeeD manual. 

            Unfortunately, the picture had nothing on the view that just appeared in front of him. He heard Rinoa gasp beside him and Zell mumble a faint curse, as two gigantic metal beasts crawled out of the battleship. Manufactured to resemble a shape between that of a crab and a spider, the machines moved about, shifting their claws, locking their targets that stood only a few feet before them.

- _"I t-t-think that it would be w-w-wise to get the hell outta here right about now and get some back-up…" _Seifer mumbled.

- _"I second that." _Rinoa said in a whimper.

- _"Hear, hear." _Zell agreed.

- _"On the count of three…" _mumbled Rinoa.

- _"Screw the counting and let's go!" _Seifer hissed, grabbing Rinoa from the wrist.

            The three teenagers turned around and broke into a frantic run. Triggered by their sudden movement, the two Black Widows leaped off the battleship and began chasing them. 

            Jumping up the stairway leading to the city square, the trio ran, feeling as if their limbs were about to detach from their bodies…_ _

****

****

* * *

_                                                                                                                                       A few minutes earlier…_

            Squall was pacing back and forth the office, cell-phone pressed against his ear. He'd been trying to reach Seifer and the others for a fair ten minutes, but the blond wouldn't reply. Agitated and somewhat worried, the young Commander terminated the call after hearing a knock on his door. 

- _"Enter." _he said.  

            The door opened and Quistis walked inside, looking upset.

- _"Squall, is everything alright?" _she said immediately _"You called and asked me to come up here at once."_

- _"I can't get to Seifer and the others. They went to Balamb to inspect the situation." _Squall replied.__

- _"Who's with him?" _

- _"Zell and Rinoa. You think they might have encountered enemies?" _Squall asked.__

- _"I dunno…" _replied Quistis, biting a fingernail _"How long have you been trying to reach them?"_

- _"About ten minutes. I've been calling all the time." _Squall replied.__

- _"Maybe we should go check it out?" _Quistis suggested.__

- _"It could be nothing. And I have to stay here. Can you pay Balamb a visit and see for yourself? If there's something wrong, I'll have __Irvine__ and Selphie on standby. Just give us a call." _Squall said, tossing her his cell-phone _"I'll be here at the office."_

- _"Alright. I'll go." _Quistis said nodding, turning around to walk to the door.__

- _"And Quistis…?" _Squall said, making her turn around _"Be careful."_

            Quistis nodded once again, smiling weakly. She exited the office, heading towards the elevator **_'I hope everything's OK… They probably just didn't hear the phone ringing… Right?'_**

****

****

- _"**SHIT**!"_ Seifer yelled, turning momentarily to glance backwards _"THEY'RE GAINING ON US! EVERYONE GET INSIDE YOUR HOUSES!" _he screamed at the people who stared at them, bewildered.

            Behind them, the two machines were moving fast, crushing the concrete beneath them, bending cars and benches that came their way like they were but mere soda cans. Citizens ran from the streets terrified, screaming, heading to the nearest shelter available. A woman stepped to the threshold of her door to see what was happening outside, only to be shoved back inside from Seifer as he sprinted through that street. A few houses down, a little girl emerged through the door. Zell immediately recognized her as the daughter of the couple standing at the entrance. Ducking, he scooped her up in his arms, continuing to run as fast as he could. The girl screamed when she caught glimpse of the machines behind them, hugging Zell tightly and burying her face in his arms.

            Seifer, Zell and Rinoa reached the last narrow path leading to the city entrance. 

- _"HIDE INSIDE THE GAS STATION, **FAST**! AND STAY THERE!!!" _Seifer shouted to the couple, as Zell quickly handed them their daughter.

            The man took his daughter in his arms and grabbed the hand of his wife, running horrified inside the station as they were told to. The three teenagers rushed through the city Gates, making their way out to the fields. Bemused, the Galbadian soldier still guarding the entrance, turned around. He barely had time to blink and gasp, as he saw a mechanical 'leg' advance on him.

            One of the Black Widows ignored the soldier that came across its way. Its leg descended down to him in a heartbeat, piercing his abdomen with ease. The man coughed faintly, choking in his own blood which came surging from his ripped stomach to his lips. The robot stepped over the truck stationed next to the Galbadian, which collapsed into a pile of metal debris under the weight of the heavy machine. The roof was squeezed down, slowly getting level with the bottom of the truck and the tires, windows smashing. The body of the soldier was still hanging from the sharp tip of the machine's mechanical leg, now shattering as the Widow stepped back on solid ground. If the first wound inflicted on the Galbadian wasn't fatal, it was the next blow that left his suspending body lay lifeless and deformed. A trail of the deepest crimson marred the grey concrete as the corpse was dragged onto the ground roughly, leaving –now- severed parts of it behind. The machine leading, momentarily stopped, bringing its leg forward, examining the weight on it. The target locked onto the dead carcass, inspecting it. The Widow shook the mechanical limb abruptly, making the body fall onto the ground, near the family that was hiding inside the station. The small girl winced at the appalling sight, only to be immediately made to look away by her father, who held her against his chest firmly. The two machines left the town limits, heading out to the fields of Balamb, where the trio had just run to.

            Panting, struggling for breath, Seifer led the small team, running like he never had before in his life. They'd just left the city borders and had a hope of reaching Garden in time. Seifer's eyes widened as he came across the figure of Quistis, heading down the path towards them.

- _"QUISTIS, **NO**!!! TURN AWAY" _Seifer screamed _"GET BACK!!!"_

            Bewildered, Quistis ignored Seifer's pleas and ran towards them, eager to see what was going on.

- _"**NOOO**! GO BACK, DAMMIT!" _Seifer yelled once more.

            The young Instructor finally realized what it was they were running away from. She saw the two Black Widows emerging from the city entrance and gasped in shock. Instead of running away though, she sprinted towards the others determinedly. Stopping on her tracks, he reached down under her skirt, pulling out a small handgun suspending from a garter on her right thigh. Thanking Hyne for having trusted her instinct and having brought the gun all SeeDs were equipped with for emergency situations, she pulled the cock and aimed.

- _"**DUCK**!" _she yelled.

            Her three peers, who were close to her by now, didn't need to be told twice and jumped down to the ground in unison. The gun was no match against the machines of course, but it would hopefully prove useful until reinforcements came. They had to keep these Widows away from the Garden at any cost. The blonde bit her bottom lip roughly and fired to the distance. The bullet flew threw the air, stopping only when it collided with metal. The shot was practically useless, but it stalled the Widow the tiniest bit. And right now, every second was precious. Quistis knew that the only weakness these exterminating machines had, was their inability for long-range attacks. And she would use it for their advantage to the fullest.

- _"Seifer! Take out your weapon and fire!" _she called at the blond on the grass _"It won't do much, but it will keep them away a bit longer! Rinoa!" _she called the girl, tossing her the cell-phone with her free hand _"Call Squall and ask for reinforcements! Zell, cast Protect on all of us! If you don't have any, draw them from me!"_

            Seifer immediately got up on his feet and loaded a round of six bullets on Hyperion. Thankfully, his weapon's bullets were stronger than a plain gun's, but still wouldn't do any critical or even substantial damage to the Widows. 

- _"Zell, let Quistis concentrate. Draw Protect from me." _Rinoa said to Zell hastily, as she opened the lid of the small black phone _"What's Garden's number?"_

- _"2310 – 229941." _Zell said, extending his arm towards Rinoa, concentrating.__

            The blond shut his eyes, feeling the tips of his fingers beginning to warm up. 

- _"Draw Protect!" _he spoke.

            Rinoa hissed, as she felt coldness pooling within her abdomen and lungs. She gasped as the spells left her body, one by one, a feeling as if something was being pulled from her stomach to her brain, freezing her insides. Five glowing blue orbs escaped Rinoa's body, flying off in a heartbeat to Zell's outstretched palm. Rinoa swiftly dialed the number Zell had told her, anxiously waiting for someone, **anyone**, to pick up the phone.

- _"Hello?"_

- _"Xu?! Hand Squall over the phone** now**!!" _Rinoa shrieked.

            Not a second passed, before Squall came to the phone.

- _"Rinoa?!" _Squall spoke worriedly.

- _"Squall, you have to come down here **NOW**! Two machines have cornered us; they called them Black Widows I think! Hurry!"_ Rinoa uttered in one breath.

            She heard the line go dead immediately and terminated the call, slipping the phone inside her pocket.

- _"Protect!" _Zell yelled, pointing his hand at Quistis.

            Rinoa followed his lead, casting Protect on Seifer. The two proceeded in casting the spell to themselves.

            Meanwhile, Seifer and Quistis were shooting bullets continuously at the two machines, which were less than thirty feet away from them.

- _"Does anyone have any Thunder spells?!" _Seifer called.

- _"I do!" _Zell exclaimed. 

- _"Share them with Rinoa and keep casting one every two minutes! Not sooner or else you'll exhaust yourselves!" _Quistis said, aiming to shoot another bullet. 

            The blonde shot her last shell to the machines, then reached down to her pocket to retrieve more cartridges. Cold sweat was damping all of her body as the Widows got closer and closer **_'Hyne help us all…' _**

* * *

            Squall slammed the receiver onto the phone in his desk, meeting with the worried expressions on Selphie, Xu and Irvine's faces.

- _"They're being attacked by two Black Widows." _Squall spoke as calmly as he could, although sweat was concentrating on his forehead _"__Irvine__, head to the machine guns immediately."_

- _"I can go, too!" _Selphie offered.__

- _"The more the merrier…" _Squall said, tossing her a portable radio _"Keep me informed if anything happens. Go. **Now**." _he ordered.__

            The cowboy and the brunette nodded and hurried out of the office. 

- _"Xu, I'm leaving you in charge." _Squall said _"Make sure no-one finds out what's going on outside, or else they'll panic."_

- _"You can count on me." _Xu said firmly.__

- _"I know I can."_ Squall said, rushing outside.__

            He pulled out his brand new Twin Lance, waiting impatiently out of the elevator, cursing the slowness of it **_'Hyne, I hope no-one's harmed yet… Quistis, Zell, Seifer… Rinoa…' _**he thought, swallowing with difficulty. The elevator shaft finally reached the 3rd floor and the young Commander barged inside, hoping he wasn't too late…

* * *

            Irvine stormed inside the empty machine gun room, pulling Selphie behind him. The room was only used during war and while the Garden was airborne, for protection. Cursing inwardly for emergency situations like this that no-one ever thought of, he rushed to one of the empty gun cubicles, sitting on the chair behind the weapon. Selphie followed suit, choosing one that viewed the front of the Garden, just like Irvine already had.

            Sitting onto the soft red leather chair, the miniscule girl grabbed the handles with one hand, lowering the electronic target scope before her eyes. Spinning the cubicle to the best position she could, she gripped the handles with both palms.

- _"OK Selphie, listen carefully!" _Irvine called next to her _"Keep **both** eyes open and hold the handle firmly because it'll vibrate greatly with every shot. Just keep the triggers pulled for multiple shots and keep the target as far away from the guys as possible, got it?"_

- _"Got it!" _Selphie said firmly.__

            Irvine brought the target scope down, pressing a button on the panel above to zoom the image in.

- _"Oh hey! Press the button that says 'Zoom' on the panel above you to get a better view of the target!"_ Irvine added.

            Selphie immediately did so and examined the image before her. The Black Widows were being poorly kept away from the weak bullets Seifer and Quistis were firing. The were dangerously close and only the Thunder spells Rinoa and Zell were now casting were holding them back the slightest bit. She aimed on the Widow closer to her peers, clenched her teeth tightly and brought her slender fingers to the triggers.

- _"Ready, Selph?!" _Irvine called.

- _"Ready!"_

- _"FIRE!" _

* * *

            Squall rushed out of the elevator, skidding down the stairs, jumping down the last ten steps. The Commander landed on his feet and sprang back up, breaking into a run. Any student passing by, saw nothing but a blur of black flash by them **_'They'll know something is wrong, but this isn't the time to be stalling…' _**Squall thought, running. 

            Making his way to the front yard of Garden, he zigzagged across the students that came across his way, yelling to everyone to move aside. His feet brought him to the Front Gate, where he jumped down the platform and onto the sand of the beach the Garden was stationed upon **_'Machines are weak against Thunder… I need to summon Quetzalcoatl…' _**he thought, running down the path to the plains. The two Black Widows were visible from afar and gunshot could be heard. The brown-haired boy narrowed his eyes in determination, concentrating as hard as he could. Slashing away the Bite Bugs that zoomed over to him with mere slashes of Twin Lance, he cleared his path to his friends, muttering the incantation to summon his Guardian Force. 

* * *

            Seifer kept shooting rounds of bullets that echoed loudly as they left the nozzle of his gunblade. Horrified, the blond Commander realized that he had very few bullets left. Clenching his teeth, he aimed towards the Widows, trying to keep his concentration. He heard a sudden roar from afar, before seeing a shower of bullets rush down to the machines. 

            All of them turned their eyes to their back, tracing the source of the gunfire back to Garden. Right on cue, they spotted the raven-clad figure of Squall appear all of a sudden, arm extended as he ran.

- _"SUMMONING QUETZALCOATL!" _his deep voice boomed.

            The bird of Thunder appeared instantly to their aid, rising glorious before the two Black Widows. Squall rushed to everyone's side, panting, tired from running and summoning the GF. 

- _"What took you so long, dammit?!"_ Seifer growled at him, once he got closer.

- _"Just shut up and shoot, Almasy." _Squall retorted, filling his own gunblade with bullets.

            Seifer felt a hand slip inside his left pocket, dropping something.

- _"Thought you might need some provisions…" _Squall said, voice loud enough to be heard over the gunshot.

            The blond Commander turned and looked at his brown-haired counterpart, who was now aiming at the machines and smirked.

- _"You've got your moments, Leonhart… Not many, but you've got 'em…" _he said, as he reloaded his weapon.

- _"Protect!" _

            Squall turned to his side and saw that it was Zell who had just cast Protect over him. The first grinned at the blond, nodding at him to thank him.

- _"LOOK OUT!"_ Quistis shouted _"IT'S CASTING RAY-BOMB!"_

            The blonde was right. One of the Widows plunged its legs firmly onto the soft ground beneath the grass and begun to hum loudly. A small surge of exhaust steam seemed to come out of it and a laser-gun pointed at all of them, releasing as bright yellow light to their direction. Seifer turned his head away from the brightness of the ray and saw his protect shield shine once as the laser beam passed by him. 

- _"Cast Protect again!"_ he shouted, once the attack was over _"The shields won't make it with another attack like that!"_

            Immediately, Zell and Rinoa cast Protect once again to their comrades and themselves, one by one.

            Quistis cursed as she realized that she had run out of bullets. Searching her pockets thoroughly for any last remnants of cartridges, she was crestfallen to find none. Dropping her handgun to the grass, she extended her arms forward, preparing Thunder spells to cast.

- _"Thundaga!" _she called, pointing at the machine closer to them.

            A minor earthquake shook the ground beneath the machine, as a bright beam of electricity came surging out, shattering the ground. The Thundaga spell shook the Widow wildly, discharging it for a few seconds. Small particles exploded within the machine and it moved its target onto her **_'Oh Hyne…' _**Quistis mumbled inwardly, thinking that if the Widow had a voice, it would be growling at her right now. It took a couple of steps forward and raised one of its mechanical claws, bringing it down towards her, wide-open.

            Next to Quistis, Seifer's sixth sense, which developed within everyone trained for years like he was, alarmed him. Grabbing Quistis's arm with his free hand, he pulled her back, stepping in front of her. The girl gasped and stumbled, falling down to the grass, irises dilating as she saw the claw descend down to Seifer. The blond raised his Hyperion and began shooting bullets to the mechanical arm of the metal beast. The movement of the arm slowed down a fair amount, but never ceased. The last bullet flew off from Hyperion, but still didn't stop the claw. Taking in a sharp breath, Seifer raised his gunblade and brought it down slashing the air. Amber sparks flew and the next thing everyone saw, was a great piece of metal falling to the ground with a thud; Hyperion had cut through one 'branch' of the claw. Breathing heavily, Seifer still held his Hyperion in battle position. A metallic shriek was heard from the Widow and with tremendous agility, it brought its arm down once again, shoving Seifer hard to the ribs, sending him to the ground.

- _"SEIFER!" _Quistis cried.  

            She hurried to his side, as a flurry of bullets fell onto that last Widow from the Garden machine guns. Quistis helped Seifer turn around to rest on his back. The blond was hissing, clutching his left rib side with his right palm. He gritted his teeth, breathing in sharply.

- _"Are you alright?!" _Quistis said worriedly, touching his shoulders.

- _"I think I broke some ribs…" _Seifer said, hissing, slowly getting up on one knee.

            The last bullets that fell on the Widow seemed to have done critical damage, as the machine collapsed down to its legs. Steam begun to come out of it and a sizzling sound resonated from its insides.

- _"RUN!" _yelled Zell _"IT'S GONNA BLOW!"_

            Quistis grabbed Seifer's hand, breaking into a run. Seifer ran as fast as he could considering his injury. The five teenagers moved away a safe distance from the Widow, jumping to the ground when they heard an explosion take place behind them. Quistis shoved Seifer forward, causing him to trip and roll on the ground with her above him. They came to a stop near the beach, next to everyone else, realizing that the other machine had gotten too close to Garden. 

            One of the Widows had been defeated. Particles flew all over in mid-air, as an outpour of fire surged out when the machine erupted. A cloud of smoke rose in the air, camouflaging the area for a while. The smoke and dust began to clear away and settle down, revealing the other machine damaged by the explosion as well. It had fallen onto its back from the outburst of energy.

            Quistis coughed and cleared the air before her with her palm. Seifer's face was cradled by her other hand in the crook of her neck as she lay above him. She ran a hand through her hair and raised her bodyweight up with her arms, looking down at Seifer.

- _"Are you hurt?" _she asked softly. Seifer winced.

- _"I think I broke more ribs…" _he muttered, coughing.

- _"Are you able to stand?" _she asked with concern.

- _"I **will** be able to, as soon as you get off me…" _Seifer muttered, gently pushing her off him. 

            He slowly got up on his knees, holding Hyperion in one hand, clutching his ribs with the other. Quistis bit her lip and stood on her knees, clearing her battle gear from the dust. Seifer was obviously quite bitter about what had happened the previous night. And quite frankly, she couldn't blame him. But when she saw that Widow knock him to the ground, she'd felt so-

- _"Oh no…" _Rinoa gasped.

            Quistis turned to her side abruptly. The other Widow was still 'alive' and kicking. With one swift move, it rolled off its back and onto its legs. Now was not the time to ponder about her feelings. Right now she had to make sure everyone stayed alive… Quistis got back up on her feet, following her peers. Another round of bullets came rushing down to the last remaining machine from the Garden machine guns, as they all prepared their weapons and Thunder spells…

* * *

            Irvine kept sending well-aimed shots at the only functioning Widow left. They were going to make it, he could feel it. The last machine shouldn't need much more damage to collapse; it would be going down any minute now…

_                                                                                                                                                      Click_

            The cowboy froze in position **_'OUT OF AMMO?!'_** he screamed at himself **_'Ohhh no… Oh nonononono… This is BAD!'_**

****

****

- _"Selphie! I'm out of ammo!" _Irvine called.

- _"Just grab one of the other machine guns!" _Selphie yelled, to be heard above the gunshot from her own machine gun.

- _"There aren't any left that are facing that way!" _Irvine shouted.

- _"I've still got bullets left in mine! Don't wor-"_

_                                                                                                                                                      Click_

            Selphie's jaw dropped and her fingers kept squeezing the triggers like there was no tomorrow.

- _"NOOOO!" _she shrieked _"NO! There **HAVE** to be more bullets!" _she yelled, pulling her hair frantically.

- _"AW, **CRAP**!" _Irvine cursed, banging one fist hard onto the console before him.

* * *

            Squall was shooting endless rounds to the Widow. Bullet shells were falling like rain between his booted feet, non-stop. Seifer was by his side, never stopping to fire either. Suddenly, the environment became extremely silent compared to what it had been just a couple of seconds ago. The only sounds were the spells hitting the machine one by one and the sound of their own gunshot. Something was missing… His eyes widened.

- _"Anyone care to tell me why the FUCK they've stopped shooting?!" _he yelled.

- _"Damn, this can't be good…" _Zell said, as his most recent Thundaga spell died down, onto the metal surface of the mechanical beast.

- _"No shit Sherlock, you **think**?!" _Seifer hissed, reloading Hyperion.

            Zell groaned. At least he was beginning to sound like his old self… All this prior kindness had begun to get on his nerves…

- _"Kkkkhhhh… SQUALL!" _

            The brown-haired Commander immediately turned his attention to the radio attached to his belt.

            - _"Khhh… khhhUALL!__ WE'RE kkkhhhT OF AMMO!" _came Selphie's distorted voice _"KkkhhhREPEAT: WE'RE OUkhhhhhhF AMMO!"_

- _"Damn, they're out of ammo!" _Squall yelled, shooting another bullet with Twin Lance.

            Seifer cursed as he aimed.

            - _"So the rest is up to us… Just fucking great…" _he mumbled, taking a shot.

- _"Thundaga!" _Rinoa shouted, as a surge of electricity left her body.

            Rinoa's great ease and concentration with the use of magic spells allowed her to be able to perform quite powerful ones for someone trained so little like her. Even compared to four military specialists, her spells seemed to be doing the most considerable amount of damage. That fact was a quite a consolation for her lack of strength, which kept making her feel out of her league when fighting by the side of her new friends. The power of her spells wasn't left unnoticed by the Widow, either. The machine recovered from her most recent one, and turned its attention to the raven-haired girl **_'Oh-oh… That's definitely not good…' _**she thought. Advancing on her, the Black Widow swiftly and stealthily brought one of its claws down to her, gripping her thin waist and pulling her up. 

- _"Rinoa!" _Quistis shrieked.

            Zell's eyes widened. Instinctively, he knew what the machine's next move was going to be. It was going to press Rinoa's waist and twist her in two like a twig if someone didn't help her soon. Without thinking, he raised his arm and yelled.

- _"BREAK!"_

            A spell flew out of his hand, circling around the mechanical arm with which the machine had grabbed Rinoa. The spell split into three separate beams which magically seeped into the arm. The tip of the claw suddenly begun to get grayer. A thin crust of stone formed around the arm, gradually becoming thicker. The spell was supposed to petrify the enemy it hit, but it didn't work well on machines and besides, the enormity of the robot didn't allow the spell to spread to all its particles. Either way, the spell worked just fine, as if stopped the mechanical arm from moving.

- _"Rinoa, duck!" _Squall yelled.

            The girl did as she was told, covering her head when a shower of bullets from the two gunblades fell onto the 'shoulder' of the arm. A deep crack soon appeared, slowly beginning to spread across the arm's width. The arm broke from the shoulder, falling off onto the ground. The claw slipped from Rinoa's waist, as she held onto the machine tightly. Enraged, –as much as a robotic machine could possibly get- the Widow reached out for Rinoa with its other arm. Thinking quickly, Rinoa threw her right leg up, hooking it onto the machine's back, hoisting herself up before the other arm caught her. Wobbling, the girl fell onto her knees, grabbing on for dear life from the protruding edges of the parts on the Widow's back.

- _"Shit!" _Seifer cursed.

            **_'Ohhhh Hyne… Now I've done it…' _**Rinoa thought, biting her bottom lip. Squall and Seifer kept shooting at the machine, but they could do nothing more, seeing as if they cast a Thunder spell, it would affect her as well **_'Oh no… I'm going to get them killed… They can't defeat it with bullets only!' _**Rinoa screamed at herself **_'I have to get down from here, FAST!' _**She began heading towards the lower part of the beast's back, leaping forward to avoid the last remaining arm that was out to get her. Falling stomach first, she tried to get up, only to find that her boot had gotten stuck. She got up on her knees and turned around, to try and break free, when…

            Rinoa's eyes widened. Her shoe had gotten stuck within a gap created by a half-open hatch. Curiosity got the better out of her and pulling her foot out, she turned around to open the hatch. She winced and tugged on the handle of the hatch, finally getting it to open. A small console was hidden underneath it. Squinting, she tried to make out the writing on top of it, covering her head with one arm, to avoid any rogue bullets that might come her way.

- _"Rinoa, jump off! We can't hold it back with bullets only!" _she heard Seifer yell.  

            **_'In a sec…' _**she whispered to herself **_'Because if that's what I think it is, then we're saved…' _**She cleared the panel with her palm, making the writing visible underneath the coat of dust. She read the writing on the panel **_'SELF-DESTRUCT MECHANISM! THAT'S IT!!'_** she thought, trying hard not to jump up from joy.

- _"STOP SHOOTING!" _Rinoa shouted in glee.

****

****

Pushing the big black button on the panel, she heard a loud mechanized voice speak.

- _"SELF-DESTRUCT MECHANISM ACTIVATED. DEMOLITION IN TEN SECONDS. TEN…" _

            Everyone who was on the ground froze on the spot. 

- _"…NINE…"_

- _"Well, fuck me… The little squirt did it…" _Seifer mumbled in awe.

****

****

- _"…EIGHT…"_

- _"Don't just stand there! Run!"_ Quistis yelled, pulling Seifer from the collar of his coat.

- _"Wait! Rinoa!" _Zell shouted.**__**

- _"…SEVEN…"_

- _"I'll get her, just go!" _Squall yelled, still shooting at the Widow.

- _"…SIX…"_

- _"RINOA, JUMP!" _Squall shouted to her.

Rinoa, stood up on her feet, wobbling unsteadily. 

- _"…FIVE…"_

            As if trying to protect itself, the Widow turned around and began moving away swiftly. Rinoa quickly turned around, facing Squall who was running behind the machine.

- _"…FOUR…"_

- _"JUMP!"_

            Taking a deep breath, Rinoa bit her bottom lip and took a few steps forward, jumping off the back of the Widow.

- _"…THREE…" _

She soared in mid-air, only to be caught in Squall's arms when she descended. They fell to the ground heavily, rolling towards the beach.

- _"…TWO…"_

Squall quickly got up, grabbing Rinoa's hand, pulling her to the sea shore.

- _"…ONE…"_

            He shoved Rinoa forward, following suit right behind her, holding her from the waist. They hit the water.

**                                                                                                                                                   BOOM!**

            Underneath the sea surface, Rinoa heard the muffled sound of the explosion that took place. She felt Squall's arms wrap around her protectively, keeping her close to him. Feeling warmth pool within her, despite the freezing water, she held his cradling arms tighter as well. Seconds later, she felt herself being pulled up.

            They both gasped for breath once emerging from the surface of the water. They turned around, towards the great cloud of smoke now emitting from the flaming debris of the machine up to the sky. A great scorching mass was all that was left from the second Widow. Fallen metal particles were spread all over the plains, witnesses of the battle that had just taken place there. Rinoa swallowed hard as she stared at the sight before her. It was then that she noticed that Squall's arms were still wrapped around her tightly, securing her even now. He seemed oblivious to that as well, his gaze locked upon the remnants of the Black Widow. Rinoa smiled warmly and looked up at him eagerly. Squall felt her warm breath caress the skin of his neck and turned around to look at her as well. He realized he was still holding her and suddenly released her, stepping away.

- _"Umm… Uhh… Are you OK?" _he asked, blushing.

- _"Yeah…" _Rinoa replied breathlessly _"I'm fine."_

            Their three comrades ran down to the beach towards them, worried expressions on their faces. Quistis stopped on her tracks, clutching her chest in relief once she saw them.

- _"Oh thank Hyne…" _she gasped, short of breath _"You're both safe…"_

- _"And I believe Rinoa just saved all our skins…" _Zell said, grinning.

            Rinoa beamed, and looked down at her feet, blushing.

- _"Good one, kiddo." _Seifer said, winking at her.

* * *

- _"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" _Selphie squealed in delight _"THEY DID IT! THEY **DID** IT!" _she shouted.

            Irvine stared at the view before him from the transparent walls of the machine gun cubicle, smiling blissfully. He got up, chuckling. Selphie jumped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck, still shrieking in glee. Irvine smiled and hugged her as well.

- _"Oh, I'm SOOOO happy! I can't believe it!" _Selphie went on.

- _"Heh, calm down, Selph… I'm really happy too, but-"_  

            The young cowboy staggered backwards and almost dropped Selphie as her lips pressed upon his hard. He almost lost his balance and grabbed the wall behind him to steady himself back up. Grinning broadly under Selphie's lips, he hugged her tighter and kissed her back…

* * *

- _"…Our offer is more than generous." _Seifer spoke.

            The Commander of the Galbadian forces stationed in Balamb was standing before his, crestfallen.

- _"You pull your forces away from Balamb for good and we let you go in one piece." _the blond went on _"As we've already informed you, our Garden is packed with fully-trained SeeDs who outnumber your troops by hundreds."_

- _"So what's it going to be?" _Squall asked, crossing his arms.__

- _"We'll return to our base." _the Commander mumbled. __

            Seifer smirked and could have sworn he saw Squall smile after their successful negotiations. The two Commanders stayed behind and watched the Galbadians gather into their vessel and leave Balamb. After being personally thanked by the Mayor of the City, the two men made their way back to Garden. They were at the Front Gate, when Seifer spoke.

- _"If I ever see another Hyne damn of them Black Widows, I swear, I'll kill myself…" _he mumbled, rubbing his sore ribs.

- _"That could be arranged…"_ Squall said, his lips twitching upwards.__

- _"Veeeeery funny, Pubes…" _Seifer groaned.

            Making their way through the yard, they reached the entrance of Garden and stepped inside the Main Hall. The moment they walked inside though, they were brought to face the entire Garden population, Headmaster, Xu, Nida, Dr. Kadowaki and their comrades included, who erupted into tumultuous applause and cheering. Squall grinned the slightest bit and ran a hand through his hair. He turned around to face Seifer.

- _"Oh, I bet you're **loving** this…" _Squall mumbled at him.

- _"The **fuck** I am…" _Seifer muttered _"I need a cigarette, a shower and someone to fix my fucking ribs straight…"_  

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! That was a handful… Any answers to possible questions you might have on this will be found in my journal shortly. Ta!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_B-Garden visits Trabia…_


	24. Chapter 23: Orphanage memories

**A/N:** Sorry for the slightly late update guys… I had a friend over for a couple of days, so I didn't even touch my PC for a couple of days… shudders I didn't even get to play FF7 (my latest addiction).

Comments on your reviews and on this chapter will be found in my journal as usual.

Enjoy!****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Galbadian forces take over Balamb and our heroes rush to the rescue and into an exhausting fight…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                        By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                              Chapter 23: Orphanage memories**

* * *

* * *

_Seifer lay into a bath tub filled with hot water. He had his eyes closed and was enjoying the warm water as it relaxed each and every one of his sore muscles._

_He let out a moan of pleasure as a pair of hands massaged his shoulders in firm, circular moves. A pair of slender legs was engulfing his waist and his back lay against a warm feminine body._

_"You were **so** brave today…" came Quistis's soft voice "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have made it…"_

_Seifer shrugged nonchalantly._

_"Don't be ridiculous… It was a piece of cake…" he said, voice almost bored._

_"You're fearless…" Quistis said with admiration._

_"Sure, whatever… Could you rub my back a bit?" he asked._

_"Anything for my valiant Knight…" Quistis replied, kissing him on the neck._

_Seifer grinned, content and tilted his head to the side, enjoying his massage._

            Seifer raised his head from his pillow, slowly opening his eyes. He squinted from the bright sunlight that was illuminating his room and, with a sigh, fell back onto bed. He winced as his sore ribs made contact with the mattress. He rolled over cautiously and crossed his arms behind his head **_'Dammit… Those dreams have to _stop_.' _**he thought, yawning. It didn't do him any good to picture Quistis like that, since she'd made it clear that she felt nothing. At least, that what he thought she meant. Whichever the case was though, it wasn't pleasant to wake up every morning and find his bedside empty after such vivid dreams.

            He slowly got up from bed, groaning and clutching his broken ribs with one palm. Yep, Dr. Kadowaki had confirmed it the previous afternoon. A report about seven broken ribs now adorned Seifer Almasy's already long medical record, which included other reports about fractures that more or less referred to every bone in his body. Any fracture that couldn't be considered lethal anyway. He honestly couldn't remember a year in Garden where he didn't break at least three bones, didn't crack his nose -and other people's noses while we're at it- open or didn't get a minor scar. His 'joy and pride' however, was the deep, thin scar that ran across his lower forehead and ended at the bridge of his nose, courtesy of Squall Leonhart. At least he'd given him one as well… The only positive outcome of the whole situation was the he got to stay out of work for a couple of days, needing to get some rest and drink the Potions the doctor had given him, to speed up the recuperation.

            The blond walked lazily over to the mini-fridge nailed onto the wall over his bed, grabbing a bottle of cold water from inside. He twisted the cap open and drank half of it in one huge gulp. He glanced down at his boxers and rolled his eyes. He emptied the bottle onto his head…      **** 

_                                                                                                                                                Ring Ring_

            The phone. Thankfully, it hadn't woken him up or else he'd be even crankier once getting up. Walking over to the nightstand, he picked up the receiver of the black phone.

- _"Yeah?" _

- _"Seifer? It's Selphie."_

            As if he'd ever mistake that chirpy voice for anyone else's…

- _"Uh-huh…" _Seifer mumbled.

- _"Don't tell me you just got up… It's almost __noon__!"_ Selphie said.

- _"Hey, show some respect towards the wounded… Now what did ya want?"_

- _"Zell's mom wanted to thank us for our work in liberating Balamb and is inviting us all to lunch at her place over at the city. You comin'?" _she asked.

- _"I dunno… I'm kinda bored…"_

- _"Did I mention that she's an incredible cook?" _Selphie asked meaningfully.

- _"What time?" _

* * *

            Seifer made his way into the Parking Lot, where everyone was waiting. Rinoa was holding a pair of keys, twirling it between her fingers.

- _"So, we're drivin'?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Yep. Cid allowed us to take two cars." _Irvine replied. 

- _"We girls are taking the blue one, OK?"_ Rinoa asked.

- _"**You're** driving?" _Seifer asked, grinning.

- _"Yeah, why not?" _Rinoa asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Swell… Send me a postcard from the underworld…" _Seifer replied, smirking, heading towards the other car, the black one.

- _"But I wanna ride with Irvy…"_ Selphie complained, as the cowboy wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a peck on the cheek. Seifer creased his forehead.

- _"Am I missin' something here?"_ he asked.

- _"Selphie and __Irvine__ are now dating, big surprise…" _Zell replied, rolling his eyes.

- _"Ride with the girls then." _Seifer addressed Irvine _"We're taking the other one."_

- _"I won't have them snogging while **I'm** driving." _Rinoa said _"Come on, it's a five minute drive, don't be a baby about it…" _

            She grabbed Selphie from the wrist and pulled her towards the blue car.

- _"Irvyyy…!" _Selphie whined, as she got shoved into the car

            Irvine sent her a wink and a kiss and gloomily stepped into the car. Seifer rolled his eyes and walked inside as well, sitting onto the driver's seat. Squall walked over to his door and glared at him.

- _"I don't think so…" _he said, shaking his head.

- _"Just gimme the keys, Leonhart." _Seifer said, extending his palm over to Squall.

- _"You're **dangerous** behind the wheel." _Squall said, narrowing his eyes at him.

- _"Bullcrap…" _Seifer replied, rolling his eyes. The girls had already driven off.

- _"I mean it, Seifer. Go sit on the passenger's seat." _Squall said firmly.

- _"I won't drive fast-"_

- _"You're handicapped! Now sit over there!" _Squall repeated.

- _"Why do I get the feeling this is gonna take a while?" _Irvine whispered in Zell's ear.  

* * *

            The girls were helping Ma Dincht out, by laying the table ready. Naturally, they had arrived much earlier and had taken the liberty of visiting the house and introducing themselves, since Rinoa already knew where it was located. No more than ten minutes than they had arrived, the door knocked. Selphie hopped over to the threshold to answer it. She came across Squall, Zell and Irvine.

- _"Hey Ma!" _Zell exclaimed, walking over to his mother, hugging her.

- _"Hey, Seifer!" _Irvine called to his back _"C'mon! What are you doin'?!"_

- _"I'M COMING ALREADY!" _came Seifer's yell from outside the house.

- _"What's he doing?" _Rinoa asked, setting a couple of plates onto the table.

            Irvine brought his index and middle finger in front of his lips, indicating 'smoking'.

- _"He agreed to let Squall drive if he allowed him to." _he added.

            Rinoa shook her head in disbelief.

- _"You already met the girls, Ma?" _Zell asked his mother.

- _"Oh yes. I knew Rinoa from yesterday." _she replied.

- _"Well, this is Squall, the other Commander in Garden," _Zell said, pointing at Squall, who merely nodded _"And this is __Irvine__, a great sharpshooter from __Galbadia__Garden__. But he's with us now."_ Zell added, now pointing at Irvine, who took out his hat and bowed.

- _"Nice to meet you boys…" _Ma Dincht said, smiling warmly _"Where's the other blond boy? Seifer. The really nice one who came yesterday with Rinoa."_

            Everyone but Zell and Rinoa froze in position.

- _"The who?" _asked Quistis, arching both eyebrows.

- _"Seifer." _Ma Dincht repeated _"Ah, what a kind and polite boy. I can only **wish** Zell was like him…" _she said jokingly, eyeing her son.

- _"Umm… You're talking about a tall, blond one, with a long grey trench coat?" _asked Selphie, creasing her eyebrows.

- _"Yes, of course… Don't you all know him?" _Ma Dincht asked.

- _"Erm… No, no, of course we do. We really like him, too." _Irvine piped in, grinning awkwardly.

            Right on cue, Seifer appeared on the threshold, smirking.

- _"Someone miss me?" _he asked Zell's mom.

- _"Ah, there you are!" _Ma Dincht exclaimed.

            Seifer walked over to her to shake her hand, but she pulled him into her embrace and kissed him on both cheeks affectionately. Seifer had to literally crouch to be on her level. Everyone stared at the sight awestruck. Selphie began giggling.

- _"Oh, this is rich…" _she sniggered.

- _"Shut up." _Zell growled through gritted teeth.

- _"Well now…" _said Ma Dincht, once she'd let go of Seifer _"Why don't you all sit down? Lunch is ready."_

- _"We'll come help you out." _Quistis offered.

- _"Sefie, I'm saving you a seat next to me…" _Irvine called, making Selphie send him a kiss and walk over to the kitchen.

- _"Sheesh, get a grip…" _Zell said, rolling his eyes.

- _"I can't help it," _Irvine said, sitting down on a chair at the far right end of the table _"I'm in love…"_

- _"Yeah, with everything with two legs in a skirt…" _Squall mumbled.

            He sat down on the same side as Irvine, leaving a spare seat for Selphie. Seifer and Zell sniggered.

- _"Oh no. My days of flirting are over. Now I've got Sefie." _Irvine replied, grinning.

- _"Heh, I'd like to see that…" _said Seifer walking over to the other side of the table _"I ain't sittin' close to you two anyway…"_ he added, sitting on one of the two middle chairs on the side across Irvine and Squall.

- _"Ditto." _said Zell, sitting next to Seifer on the other middle chair. The blonds looked at each other _"Well, I'm not sitting next to you either…" _he added, moving to the empty seat to the far end.

- _"So… How'd it happen with you two anyway?" _Seifer asked Irvine.

- _"We were at the machine guns together and we were out of ammo." _narrated Irvine_ "So we're watching you guys from the window and when we saw that you beat the last widow, Selphie jumped up going all 'Yay!' and everything and then… she kissed me." _he said, grinning.

- _"Just like that?" _asked Zell.

- _"Yeah. We were hugging and all and suddenly she kissed me. And of course, I reciprocated and-"_ Irvine began.

- _"Hey, hey…" _piped in Squall _"Keep the rest to yourself."_

            The girls along with Ma Dincht walked inside, carrying platelets with the feast Zell's mom had prepared. They laid them out on the table carefully. Selphie sprinted over to the seat Irvine had saved her and sat down next to him, smiling at him. Faking nonchalance, –and not successfully to be exact- Rinoa walked over to the empty seat next to Squall and sat down next to him. Squall sat up straight and blushed the slightest bit.

- _"I think I'll sit next to my boys…" _Ma Dincht said jokingly, sitting between Seifer and Zell. Zell rolled his eyes.

            Quistis looked at the only seat left empty. She cursed inwardly. The last thing she needed right now was more awkwardness… She walked over to the chair next to Seifer and sat down. The blond shot her a sideways glance and turned his gaze to his front.

- _"I hope you're all hungry," _said Ma Dincht _"I'm not letting you get up from the table unless all the plates are empty."_

            Everyone took a moment to examine the vast variety of food sprawled all over the table. Salads, all sorts of appetizers, buns and a grand platelet of roast lay in front of them.

- _"Ma-"_ Zell began.

- _"I'm not hearing a word." _said the woman _"After taking one look at the girls I wondered if they've ever eaten in their lives!"_

            Slight laughter spread all over the table.

- _"Well," _Quistis said smiling, bringing a forkful of lettuce salad to her lips _"We're all fighters here, so we need to be careful not to gain too much weight…"_

- _"Quistis, honey," _Ma Dincht said, looking at the blonde _"Trust me when I say this: Men prefer curvy women. All of you are insanely pretty, but you're too scrawny!" _she added _"When a man decides to sleep with a woman he fancies to grasp some curves…" _she finished, winking at her.

            Quistis choked on her bite. Seifer, Irvine and Selphie sniggered, Rinoa giggled, covering her mouth with her palms, Squall froze, blushing. Zell's eyes shot side open.

- _"MA!" _he yelled.

- _"What?" _Ma Dincht said innocently _"I'm just telling the truth…"_

- _"Oh, I dunno if I agree though Mrs. Dincht…" _said Irvine, wrapping his arm around Selphie's shoulder _"I think thin women can be just as appealing…" _he added, kissing Selphie on the cheek. The brunette beamed.

- _"Aw, you two are a couple?" _Ma Dincht cooed, smiling.

- _"Yes." _Selphie replied meekly.

- _"Zell, when are you going to bring over a girl for me to meet?" _Ma Dincht asked her son.

            Zell slapped his forehead with his palm, dragging it down his face.

- _"What, your mother's not allowed to meet your girlfriend?"_ Ma Dincht asked.

- _"Oh, I'm quite sure you'll be meeting a certain librarian any time now…" _Rinoa mumbled, giggling.

- _"RINOA!"_ Zell snapped, blushing from head to toe.

- _"What librarian?" _Ma Dincht asked her son immediately _"Who is she, Zell? What is she like? What's her name? How long have you been dating? When will you bring her over? Do you love her?"_

- _"Ma, calm down…" _Zell replied wearily _"I'm not dating anyone… Just eat…" _he added, helping himself to some slices of roast.

- _"Fine; I'm not allowed to know anything…" _Ma Dincht said, shrugging.

            Everyone snorted. Rinoa began cutting her roast, grinning. Zell eyed her poisonously and when she returned his gaze, he moved his index finger to his throat and pulled it away abruptly, as if motioning to cut her throat. Rinoa grinned even wider and returned to her plate.

- _"Well," _Ma Dincht spoke again. Zell sighed _"What about you Seifer, Squall? Do you have girlfriends?"_ she asked. The two men opened their lips to reply 'No', but she beat them to it _"Is Rinoa your girlfriend, Squall? Because you're sitting next to each other and you look so cute together…" _she said, smiling.

            Rinoa grinned awkwardly, next to a bright crimson Squall. Seifer chuckled.

- _"And don't even get me started on you two…" _Ma Dincht added, pointing at Seifer and Quistis.

- _"Erm, no, no." _Quistis hurried to speak _"We're not couples…" _she said, pointing at her and the other three.

- _"Too bad…" _Ma Dincht said, shrugging.

- _"Ma, will you please stop asking people about personal things? C'mon, eat…" _Zell said, sighing.

- _"They didn't complain…" _she replied matter-of-factly.

- _"That's because they're being nice."_ Zell said, shoveling down his roast.

            Ma Dincht rolled their eyes. They all remained silent for a while, eating the exquisite meal Zell's mother had so skillfully prepared. It wasn't long before something caught Ma Dincht's attention. She looked around, creasing her forehead, smelling the air.

- _"I think I smell…" _she said, frowning _"Smoke… Zell, did you start smoking?" _she asked her son, austerely.

- _"No Ma, I don't smoke." _Zell replied, shaking his head.

- _"Oh sorry… That's me…" _Seifer said, grinning awkwardly.

- _"Ah, you shouldn't smoke Seifer… It's really bad for your health." _said Ma Dincht.

- _"Yeah, I know, but-" _Seifer said, grabbing a nearby glass for water.

- _"I've heard so many nasty things about smoking…" _Ma Dincht interrupted him _"Makes the skin look older, causes problems to the heart… Not to mention potential incompetence to men…"_

            It was Seifer's turn to choke on the gulp of water he'd begun to swallow. Ma Dincht began to pat him on the back firmly.

- _"Wouldn't it be a shame for such a handsome young man such as yourself not to be able to-"_

- _"**Ma**, **don't** say it!" _Zell hissed, covering his face in his palms.__

- _"Fine, fine, I'll be quiet…" _said Ma Dincht, throwing her hands in the air.__

            Zell sighed deeply yet again and buried himself in his seat. This lunch couldn't be going any worse…

* * *

            Seifer lay on the back seat of the car next to Irvine, rubbing his stomach. He closed his eyes and moaned in discomfort.

- _"Hyne, I'm full…" _he mumbled _"I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my entire life…"_

- _"Zell, your mom is an amazing cook…" _Irvine said, feeling drowsy after a huge lunch as well _"It's a miracle you don't weigh a ton…"_

- _"Tell me about it." _agreed Zell _"That's the reason I began working out in the first place. To burn off all the calories…"_

            Seifer slipped a hand down his pocket, searching around. When he pulled it out, he was holding a pack of Marlboros. Tilting it upside down, he grabbed his black lighter and one cigarette, resting the latter between his lips. Irvine shot him a sideways glance and grinned.

- _"You sure you wanna light that?" _he asked _"Remember what Zell's mom said…"_

            Seifer froze in position, holding the lighter in front of his face, a sliver of flame protruding from it. Zell chuckled.

- _"Fuck you…" _he mumbled and lit his cigarette, not being able to stop feeling uneasy with every drag he took in though.

* * *

_                                                                                                                                             One week later…_

            Dr. Kadowaki slowly peeled off the bandages from Seifer's ribs. The blond was standing up in front of her, clad in a pair of jeans, T-shirt lying onto the bed behind him. The doctor put the bandages aside and placed her palms on the sides of his ribs.

- _"Now tell me if any of this hurts…" _she said, gently pressing her fingers against his skin.

            Seifer didn't wince or flinch. He felt no pain at all from the doctor's touch.

- _"Nope, nothing… Doesn't hurt at all." _he said.

- _"Have you taken all the potions I gave you?" _Dr. Kadowaki asked, removing her hands from their previous place.

- _"Yeah, I took them all. And used a mild Cura every now and then like you told me to." _replied the blond.

- _"Well, it all looks fine." _ said the doctor _"Just make sure you take it easy with training for a few days. It would be best if you didn't have any-"_

- _"Not likely…" _said Seifer, shaking his head. He grabbed the T-shirt from behind him and pulled it on _"I'm already goin' all flabby…"_

            Dr. Kadowaki took a moment to look what Seifer considered 'flabby', before his still very-well toned torso disappeared under the fabric of the black T-shirt. He noticed the look on her face and frowned.

- _"What? I've gained at least two pounds this week!" _he protested.

- _"I didn't say anything…" _the doctor said, throwing her hands on the air.

- _"So, are we done?" _Seifer asked, running a hand through his fair hair.

- _"Yes, you're free to go, Commander."_ she said, winking at him.

- _"Good. See ya around…"_ said Seifer.

            He grabbed his trench coat from the hanger and tossed it over one shoulder, exiting the Infirmary. He made his way down the corridor to the main Hall, receiving salutes from many students that came by his way. He'd almost reached the Directory, when he heard someone calling him. Turning around, he saw Selphie heading towards his way.

- _"Hey,"_ she said, once she reached him _"Glad I caught up with you. I erm… I needed to ask you something…" _she said meekly.

- _"Shoot." _

- _"Well… It's about our next destination…" _she began _"I was wondering if we could head to Trabia… I'd like to see whatever there's left of T-Garden…"_

- _"Oh…"_ Seifer said, arching both eyebrows.

            **_'Well of course she'd like to visit _****_Trabia_********_Garden_****_…' _**he thought **_'She practically grew up there. She might have even lost many friends from the missile attack… Besides, it'd be good if we checked it out to see if it was damaged heavily. What if it got completely destroyed? Man, I'd hate to see her face that… But still…'_**

- _"Sure." _Seifer replied _"I'll run the idea over with Squall and get back to you on it, OK?"_

- _"Great, thanks." _Selphie said, smiling somewhat gloomily _"I'll see you around then._

- _"Yeah, see you around."_

            The blond took a moment to walk Selphie walk away. Her pace didn't remind him the slightest bit of her usual cheerful disposition. He sighed and turned around, walking up the stairs towards the elevator.

* * *

            The blond Commander stepped out of the shaft, looking around the Hall casually. Xu emerged from her office immediately after spotting him. Seifer turned around as he heard the door creaking open.

- _"You're late… **again**." _Xu said, stressing that last word.

- _"Easy Xu…" _Seifer said, smirking _"I had an appointment with the doc. You can call and ask if you don't believe me…" _

- _"I will." _said Xu, arching an eyebrow, going back into her office.

- _"I will…" _Seifer repeated her words in a mocking tone, grimacing.

            Rolling his eyes, he entered his office, only to find Squall sitting behind his desk, going through a map. The brown-haired boy raised his gaze over at Seifer, scowling.

- _"You're-"_

- _"**Late**. I know already…" _Seifer said exasperated, taking his seat behind his own desk _"I was at the Infirmary to get my bandages removed, sheesh…"_

- _"Fine." _came Squall's laconic reply.__

- _"Oh and I ran into Selphie." _ Seifer said _"She had a request to make, about our destination."_

- _"How come?" _Squall asked, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"She wants us to head over to Trabia," _Seifer said _"And take a look at T-Garden. See how much damage was made there."_

- _"Ah." _said Squall, nodding _"Makes sense…"_

- _"We should go.  Not just because of Selphie, but to see how they're holdin' up there. We have other exchange students from Trabia as well, right?"_ Seifer asked.__

- _"Yeah, yeah, of course. We should go." _Squall replied _"We'll schedule it with Nida for tomorrow morning."_

- _ "Good, good…." _replied Seifer _"So this will take what? Two, three days?" _

- _"I suppose so. More or less…" _said Squall.__

* * *

            Squall, Selphie and Seifer walked down the snowy trail leading to Trabia Garden. Their mobile base was stationed next to the forest behind them, about a ten minute walk away from their current position. All three of them were tightly wrapped within their winter coats; the weather in the continent of Trabia was incredibly cold. Seifer felt the icy breeze creep underneath his clothes and freeze his insides to the bone. He shivered.

- _"There it is!" _Selphie exclaimed, breaking into a run.

            The two Commanders watched the miniscule girl sprint down to the gates visible from afar. Her thick, furry boots disappeared under the snow, which almost reached her ankles, wetting the bottom of her blue jeans. The two men gave each other a look and ran after her.

            She had stopped before a fence, touching it with her gloved palms, looking up, a worried expression on her face.

            Squall crossed his arms and creased his forehead, looking at the ruined building in front of them. The glossy, golden ring that hovered above all garden, spinning, was now wrecked, tainted with grayish-black soot and dangling from the roof of the Garden. The walls were either blackened to the core as well or bore huge holes on them. An eerie silence lingered in the atmosphere; not a single whisper could be heard, much in contrast with the lively murmur that surrounded Balamb Garden with every passing day. Selphie's lips parted and her irises dilated.

- _"Looks pretty bad…" _Squall commented.

            Seifer shot him a cold glare, making him slap himself mentally for his lack of tact.

- _"A direct… hit?" _Selphie mumbled, looking down dejectedly _"I'm going in." _she said after a small pause, beginning to climb the fence before her.

- _"Be careful, OK?" _Seifer called to her.

            The girl swiftly reached the top of the fence, hopping down to the other side. She looked around, the broke into a run down the path in front of her.

- _"Squall! Seifer!"_

            Both turned around, watching Rinoa, Quistis, Irvine and Zell approach them from the distance, all dressed up warmly in thick coats like them.

            Rinoa walked over first, looking worried.

- _"Where's Selphie?"_ she asked.__

- _"She ran off ahead." _Squall replied.__

- _"Well, c'mon, let's go after her!" _Irvine said, walking over to the fence.__

* * *

            The six friends walked down the broken stone path, looking around the remnant of what once was Trabia Garden. They were more than relieved to find students still alive and roaming around. Seifer studied the expressions on their faces. They all shared the same one. They tried to look hopeful and struggled to piece their Academy back together again, but desperation and stress could be found hidden behind their masks of optimism. He could read it in their eyes…

- _"Selphie!" _Irvine exclaimed, running ahead.

            Seifer see their friend standing a few feet away from them, talking to another girl. Probably an old friend. The young cowboy rushed over to her side.

- _"Hey… We were worried about you, you know…" _he said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder.

            Selphie smiled poignantly and walked into his embrace. She turned and looked back at her friend.

- _"Emma, this is Irvine." _she said.

- _"Nice to meet you." _replied the girl, shaking Irvine's free hand.

- _"Likewise." _Irvine said, smiling.

            The rest slowly approached them, glancing around uncomfortably. They couldn't face any of those kids straight in the eye. Sometimes it felt best for one's conscience to try and deny the obvious by avoiding it.

- _"And these are all my friends." _Selphie added, pointing at all of them.

            Emma waved at them, receiving nods and warm smiled back.

- _"There should be a basketball court in the back. Wait for me there, OK?" _said Selphie, letting go of Irvine _"I want to go catch up with my friends."_

- _"OK sweetie. See you in a bit." _replied Irvine, giving her a peck on the lips, rubbing her cheek affectionately.__

* * *

            Seifer stepped over to the basketball court last. Everyone was already waiting there, expressionless. He made his way over to a big stone at the far corner of the court, sitting down. No-one spoke. They all seemed to be lost within their own thoughts. Seifer wasn't aware of how much time had gone by, before Squall spoke.

- _"We're leaving as soon as Selphie comes back. We're on standby 'till then." _he said blankly, glancing over at Seifer.

            The blond nodded, not uttering a word.

            He sighed. All this damage had been inflicted on Trabia Garden by a mere order of the Sorceress. If they hadn't stopped the missiles on their way to Balamb, this could have easily been them as well. Some of them could be dead or handicapped, living among ruins like these, trying to get their lives back on track. And all because of the Sorceress.

            His thoughts trailed at both the close encounters he'd experienced with her. For some reason, that woman had an overwhelming power over him that didn't seem to affect any of the others. And she'd chosen to speak to him only for some reason. She'd chosen him as her potential Knight.

            He shuddered at the thought of what things would be like, had he joined her. Could it have been him to torture his peers to death back in prison? Could he have killed any of his friends? Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie, Zell… Quistis. Could it have been him by Edea's side while she ordered the bombing of both Gardens? He quickly pushed those thoughts away. It didn't do him any good to think like that. Thinking of what would be possible if he'd made a different choice could easily drive him insane.

            He snapped his head up as an orange ball rolled into the court and Selphie appeared.

- _"Sorry to keep you waiting!" _she said, trying to catch her breath_ "Thanks so much for coming all the way out here, everyone."_

- _"Cheer up, eh?" _Irvine said, holding her hand.__

- _"Thanks." _Selphie replied, smiling_ "Take me with you when you fight the sorceress, OK? I wanna get even. I want my revenge!" _she said, her voice suddenly firm and filled with rage.

- _"Umm…" _Rinoa piped in_ "Do we… have to fight? Isn't there another way? Y'know, to avoid any bloodshed?" _she asked hopefully, although she already knew the answer.__

- _"Yo! What the…?!" _Zell snapped_ "What are you sayin' all of a sudden?!"_

- _"Maybe someone really smart can come up with a way, so we wouldn't have to fight anymore…" _Rinoa added, looking down at her feet.__

- _"You know that can't be done, Rinoa…" _Seifer said, shaking his head in disbelief.__

- _"You were… part of a resistance movement in Timber, right?" _Squall spoke_ "Unlike others who are all talk, you took to your weapon and fought… And now you're saying all this? What happened to you?" _he asked, frowning.__

- _"I guess… I'm getting scared." _she replied, shrugging_ "Sometimes… when I'm with all of you… I… feel like we're on the same wavelength…you know? But when the battles start happening, it's different. Everyone's tempo seems to pick up and… I get left behind. I try to catch up, but it's no use… How far is everyone going? I can't hear anyone…Once I catch up, I wonder… Is everyone safe? Will they welcome me with open arms…? Is everyone OK? Will we all make it back together? When I start thinking like that-"_

- _"Rinoa, I understand." _Irvine cut her off_ "Someone might not be there. Someone you love may disappear before your very eyes. It's tough when you live your life thinking that way. But that's why I fight…"_

            The cowboy walked over to the ball and picked it up.

- _"When I was a little kid… I was about four or so… I was in an orphanage." _he said, shooting the ball to the basket..

- _"I didn't know you were an orphan, __Irvine__…" _Quistis spoke.

- _"Yup… But I wasn't alone there…" _he said _"Plenty of kids…All with no parents… It was around the end of the Sorceress War, so I guess it couldn't be helped. Anyway, that's where I was. And out of all the kids there, once was very special to me" _he added.

            His melancholic gaze shifted over to Selphie. The brunette looked at him, eyes narrowing, lips parting.

- _"I really liked this girl, and it made me so happy just talking to her."_ Irvine went on, looking away.

- _"Was that orphanage… a stone house?"_ Selphie asked, voice barely above a whisper.

            Irvine smiled at her warmly.

- _"You guessed it…"_ he replied, grinning.

- _"An old house made of stone? By the ocean?"_ Quistis piped in, her expression similar to Selphie's.

- _"You guessed it… I knew right away, when we first met!"_ Irvine exclaimed.

- _"Whoa, whoa…" _Seifer spoke, walking over to them _"I thought you said you had parents…"_ he addressed Quistis.

- _"Yes…" _she replied, falling deep in thought _"I guess… I guess they adopted me from the orphanage… There's no other explanation. _

- _"Why didn't you tell us?!"_ Selphie asked Irvine.

- _"Cause you two seemed to have forgotten!" _Irvine replied_ "It just kinda sucked that I was the only one who remembered… Spunky little Sefie and bossy little Quisty…"  _

- _"This is just soooo weird…" _Selphie said, looking around dazed.

- _"It wasn't just us three though…" _Irvine said, looking around at the others meaningfully.

            Seifer stepped back running a hand through his hair.

- _"Holy shit…" _he whispered _"Except for Rinoa, we were **all** there…"_

- _"That's right…" _Irvine replied.__

            Squall noticed Rinoa looking around awkwardly, obviously feeling left out at this conversation. But he couldn't worry about her now. His mind was about to explode with all the memories that came rushing within his seemingly blank page of a mind so far. Flashes of images danced before his eyes. The orphanage, the lighthouse, his friends, Seifer, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selphie… And…

- _"Wait…" _Squall spoke for the first time _"It wasn't just us… I… I remember this girl… She was older than all of us…"_

- _"Elle." _Irvine said.__

- _"Elle…" _Squall replied _"Sis Elle… Ellone…"_

- _"E-Ellone?" _Zell stammered _"**The** Ellone?! The one who's taking us to Laguna's past?" _he asked, bewildered.__

- _"Yes…" _Squall replied_ "She said she wanted to change the past. I don't know why…"_

- _"There can only be one reason for that." _Quistis said matter-of-factly.__

- _"She must not be happy with the present." _Selphie added.__

- _"If that's the case, I'm definitely up for helpin' her!" _Zell said firmly_ "She's part of our orphanage gang!"_

- _"You didn't even remember who she was!" _Selphie told him, grinning.__

- _"Hey, Selphie…" _Irvine addressed his girlfriend_ "That goes for you, too…"_

            The girl grinned awkwardly and rubbed the back of her hair.

- _"Y'know…" _Irvine spoke again_ "Everyone was fond of Sis, but you, Squall, you kept hoggin' her for yourself."_

- _"You sure have a good memory…" _Squall admitted.__

- _"Just like Seifer did with Matron." _Irvine added, eyeing the blond.__

            Seifer snapped his head up and looked at him.

- _"Matron…" _he whispered.

- _"Matron? Who was Matron?" _asked Selphie.

- _"The woman who took care of us…" _Seifer said, staring blankly at nowhere in particular _"Long black hair… Dressed in black…"_

- _"The woman you told me about…" _Quistis addressed him.

            Seifer looked at her, nodding. Then looked away again.

- _"This is really strange." _Squall said_ "I don't think I was adopted because of the way I am…"_

- _"Heh…" _Seifer scoffed sarcastically_ "Ditto… I think I got in Garden when I was five or so…"_

- _"But none of you ever mentioned anything…" _Quistis said.__

- _"Yes, it's really odd… Nothing ever crossed my mind when I saw you, Seifer or Zell in Garden…" _Squall replied.

- _"That IS strange…" _Selphie agreed_ "In my case, I had loads and loads of fun after going to Trabia. That's probably why I forgot about my childhood. That's what I think. But I don't know what's up with you guys! It's so odd that you would forget!"_

- _"I… remember." _said Quistis_ "Yes, I remember now. Things didn't work out at my new home. So I left for Garden… That was when I first noticed Seifer and Squall. They were always fighting."_

- _"Yeah… Quistis always used to break us up." _Squall replied_ "But… Why is it that we forgot? We grew up together as kids… How's that possible…?"_

- _"How about this?" _Irvine spoke_ "The price we pay for using the GF. The GF provides us its power. But the GF makes its own place inside our brain…"_

- _"So you're saying that the area is where our memories are stored?" _Quistis asked, frowning_ "No! That's just a rumor the GF critics are spreading." _she added, not wanting to believe it could be true.

- _"So if we keep relying on the GF, we won't be able to remember a lot of things?" _Zell asked worriedly.__

- _"There's no way Headmaster Cid would allow such a dangerous thing!" _Quistis protested.__

- _"Then how is it that I remember, while everyone else has forgotten?" _Irvine asked her _"Well…? In my case, I hadn't junctioned a GF until recently. That's why I remember a lot more than you guys."_

- _"How about you, Selphie?" _Quistis asked her friend, needing someone to back up her beliefs_ "Your first experience with the GF was when you came to __Balamb__Garden__, right?"_

            The miniscule girl grinned awkwardly.

- _"Not really…" _she replied_ "I have a confession to make… When I was twelve, I went on an outdoor training session. I found a GF inside one of the monsters I defeated… I junctioned that GF for a while. So I have experience with GF, too. But… but, it's really weird! I can't remember the name of that GF!"_

- _"Then it must be the GF's fault…" _Quistis said, accepting defeat_ "What should we do?"_

- _"What should we do? Nothing." _Squall said, shrugging.__

- _"What do you mean 'Nothing'?!" _Zell protested.__

- _"So what do you want to do?" _Squall asked him, crossing his arms_ "You wanna stop using GF now? As long as we continue fighting, we're indebted to the powers of the GF. If there's a price I have to pay for that, I'll gladly pay it." _he admitted bluntly.__

- _"Heeey, I know!" _Selphie exclaimed_ "Let's all keep a diary! That way we'll always have something to remind us!" she suggested._

- _"Are you sure that's what you want?" _Zell asked her_ "Maybe… that's for the best. Yeah… I don't care if I forget about my childhood; it wasn't a very good one anyway "What's important to me now is having the power to protect my parents in Balamb. They adopted me. And they were great to me. There's no way I'm lettin' go of that power!"_

            Quistis sighed and turned her gaze over at Seifer. He'd become very quiet all of a sudden and it struck her that he hadn't said a word for quite some time.

- _"Seifer…?" _she called him.

            He slowly looked up at her.

- _"Why so quiet all of a sudden?" _she asked him.

- _"I just remembered something…" _he said, his eyes cold and distant.

- _"What?" _asked Selphie.

- _"You said you all remember Matron, right?" _he asked them. They all nodded _"Does anyone remember her name?" _he asked them meaningfully.

            It took quite some time for what he'd just asked to sink in. He was certain everyone knew what he was talking about by their expressions. Selphie clamped her mouth with both palms.

- _"No!" _she said _"It can't be! No way!"_

- _"Yes way." _Seifer replied, looking away _"Edea Kramer…"_

* * *

            Seifer had long ago stopped listening to what the others were discussing. He couldn't get the picture of Matron out of his head.

            Edea…

            The woman he cherished like a true mother… The woman who tried to bring him over to her side… Their bond…

            And their mission was to exterminate her…

- _"But… somehow, we're together again. Just like old times, though a lot's changed."_ Irvine spoke _"We're not kids anymore…We're strong enough to take care of ourselves. Make our own decisions…We're confronting a big one right now. Do we fight Matron or not…? I say we fight… Shoot for a common goal…Hey, at least it'll keep us together a little longer."_

- _"Yeah. Let's do it. We can't run from her the rest of our lives."_ agreed Zell.__

- _"It's just such a bummer…" _mumbled Selphie _"I can't believe we have to fight Matron."_

- _"I know… But Zell's right. We can't run from her forever."_ spoke Quistis.__

- _"Rinoa… We're gonna fight… I think it's the only way we can move on with our lives. If that makes any sense at all, come with us. I'm sure that's what everybody wants."_ said Squall.__

            Seifer, who had been leaning against a wall, remaining silent all this time, finally scoffed audibly. All heads turned towards his direction.

- _"What everybody wants?" _Seifer said, addressing Squall, eyes narrowed.

- _"You didn't speak. I presumed you agreed with us all…" _Squall said innocently _"Don't you?"_

- _"Of course I don't! What the hell's the matter with you?!" _Seifer snapped, sounding offended that Squall even dared to assume he did. He shook his head in disbelief _"You all disgust me…"_

            Six pairs of eyes widened at his accusative tone. The tall blond stood up in full height and eyed each and every one of them with disdain.

- _"Do you even **realize** what you're saying?!" _he growled _"How could you **ever** kill Matron?!"_

- _"Seifer, it's the only-"_ Irvine began.__

- _"No fucking way!" _hissed Seifer _"I am **not** killing the only woman I ever considered a mother, you hear me?!" _he shouted, pointing a threatening finger at them _"I don't fucking care if your **heroes** of parents were forced to give you up because of death or whatever shit during the War, but mine **didn't**. I don't even **bother** to call those two sons-of-bitches 'parents' because all they ever were to me was a fucking sperm donor and a bitch to unwillingly carry me in her womb. They were fucking assholes and the best thing they ever did for me was **dying**! Because **that's** when I met my only **real** mother!" _he yelled, his voice wavering _"So don't you **fucking** dare ask me to aid in her extermination! I will **not** be a part of this! You can count me out of your **fucking schemes**!" _he screamed and stormed away.__

            All of them stood shocked at his outburst, and didn't speak for a fair few minutes. Selphie stifled a sob and choking, covered her face in both palms, turning away. Irvine stepped over to her side, resting a comforting palm on her shoulder. Quistis sighed and began walking away.

- _"I'll talk to him." _she said softly, and made her way out of the court.

- _"Quistis…?" _

            The blonde turned around and looked at Squall who's called her.

- _"We need him." _he muttered sadly.

            Quistis sighed and nodded.

- _"I know. I'll try to make him come around."_ she said and turned her heel.

* * *

            Rage ran through Seifer's veins as he stormed down the path towards the exit of T-Garden, roughly pushing away anyone who came across his path **_'I can't believe them all… How could they ever even _consider_ killing Matron? She's not evil; she _can't_ be…' _**the young man thought. His thoughts traveled to the few memories, now rushing into his mind in fast forward.

It was almost painful.

_Sad, melancholic autumns, spent inside the walls of the orphanage, with cocoa and endless fairytale stories from Edea. Stormy nights when he'd run to her, scared, ending up sleeping by her side, wrapped in her loving arms._

_Cold, snowy winters, with New Year's decorations or snowball fights and Matron's oven-warm cookies as a treat once they gathered back inside.___

- _"Seifer!"_

            The tall blond turned around sharply, only to find Quistis running after him, calling out his name. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. Even **she** had agreed to this. Only Selphie seemed to have **some** kind of remorse for what they were planning to do, but she'd been convinced by the others eventually as well.

_Refreshing springs with the first swims in the sea, which almost always resulted in early spring colds.__ Matron scolding him for not listening to her once again, but then pampering him back to health with motherly concern and delicate care when he turned up with fever and coughing._

Traitors.

**All** of them.

_Warm, breezy summers spent out in the beach, Cid playing in the water with them and Edea watching from the shore, smiling and content. He would always run out to her first, so that she'd wrap him around in a huge towel and rake her fingers in his short, wet, straw-blond spikes. _

And he wasn't willing to speak to, or even **face** them right now.

Not even **her**.

- _"Seifer, wait!" _Quistis called again.

            The blond ignored her cries and sprinted over to the wire fence, climbing up with ease. He hopped down onto the snowy fields of Bika, Trabia and began to make his way back to Garden in long, sharp strides. He should be there in less than ten minutes…

            Quistis stopped before the fence to catch her breath for a moment. Not losing another single second, she grasped the fence and began climbing up. She spotted Seifer many feet away and quickly jumped down, running after him.

- _"Seifer, stop! Wait! Will you please just hear me out?!"_

- _"HEAR **WHAT**?!"_

            Quistis stopped dead in her tracks by Seifer's booming voice. He'd finally turned around to face her, his features creased into a deadly frown.

_He'd turn to her like Squall did to Ellone, hope in his eyes, asking her if he was her 'little boy', always receiving a warm smile and a hug in response. _

- _"Hear what, huh?!" _Seifer repeated, advancing on her _"How Squally-boy sent you over to convince me kill to Edea?"_

- _"No-one sent me. I-"_ began Quistis.

- _"Oh, you ran all the way here on your **own** decision? How sweet!" _Seifer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm _"Were you **worried** about me?"_

- _"**Everyone** is." _Quistis spoke seriously _"We don't like this either Seifer, but-"_

- _"But **still**, you easily decide to finish off the only woman we can come close to calling a 'mother' after a fucking one-minute discussion about your **deeply** hurt feelings on this."_ he retorted, holding his chest in mock-hurt. 

- _"She may once have been our Matron and **believe** me," _Quistis pleaded, walking closer to him _"I wouldn't even **think** of bringing myself to this position if it weren't for the circumstances. She's not the woman we all once loved anymore." _she spoke, a sad smile on her face _"She has killed many and won't hesitate to do it again… You **must** understand this, Seifer…"_

_His sweet, loving Matron.___

            Quistis approached him and took his hands in hers. She rubbed them for warmth, as Seifer bowed his downcast face to the ground, remaining silent.

_His mother…_

- _"No." _he said suddenly, voice deep and gruff.

            He pulled his hands away from Quistis's grip and looked up at her, once again furious.

- _"**NO!**" _he yelled _"She is NOT evil! I don't believe it!" _he insisted _"There **must** be another way out of this! We can talk to her! Help her remember! Maybe she lost her memories from Guardian Forces as well! Like **we** did! We'll talk to her!" _he went on, almost going delirious.

            Quistis looked at him, going into a fit almost in tears. It killed her to watch him torture himself in denial like that. She approached him once again and took his face into her gloved palms, shaking her head in dissent.

- _"We can't…" _she almost whispered.

- _"You don't understand…" _Seifer choked _"None of you does… I was hoping** you** would, but-"_

- _"I **do**." _she insisted, turning his face to look at her _"I **do** understand how much this hurts you. But we're left with no choice. It's either her or the world. Please…" _she pleaded, her voice wavering _"We need you… The Garden needs you." _she begged **_'_I_ need you…' _**

- _"The Garden needs no-one but Squall." _

            Seifer backed away from her once more. It began to snow…

- _"He's the only Commander that Garden needs, and the only one Garden **should** have." _he said, full of bitterness, eyes narrowed and hateful.

- _"What are you talking about?" _Quistis said _"You're **both** Commanders. You're both essential to-"_

- _"Do you **know** what people see when they look at Squall?" _Seifer interrupted her _"They see a leader. They see someone they can trust. I've noticed the way the gaze at him. They all **admire** him, they all look up to him. They all want to **be** him. Do you know what they see when they look at **me**?" _he asked _"They see a guy who was lucky enough to be in Squall's 'hero team' and managed to 'steal' some of that glory away. They see a guy who was made a Commander so that he wouldn't bitch about it when Squall was once again praised. I might be a good fighter, but I'll **never** be someone people look up to. I'll **never** be **him**. No matter what I do or say. **Never**. **He** was the one leading the mission to Timber unanimously. **He** was the one leading the mission in Deling. **He** was the one to go for Edea while I helplessly choked and squirmed on the ground like a fucking idiot. It's always **him**. It's **always** been him."_

- _"That's not true…" _Quistis insisted.

- _"Oh yeah? Name **one** person who treated me and Squall as equals. **One** person who actually **saw** something when bothering to place an eye upon me."_ Seifer retorted.

            An awkward pause.

            Silence.

- _"**I **did."_ Quistis said eventually.__

            Seifer's lips parted slightly as he looked deep into her eyes. He saw pity in her cerulean gaze. He didn't want it. He despised it.

            He turned away.

            A palm touched his shoulder tenderly.

- _"Don't." _he said coldly _"Just… Don't."_

            He left.

* * *

**A/N:** Just to avoid any misunderstandings, by 'He left', I meant that he went back to Garden, mmmkay?

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

__

_Balamb__Garden__ encounters __Galbadia__Garden__…_


	25. Chapter 24: The final battle

**A/N:** What's up, everyone?

First of all, I'd like to take a minute and once again thank you all for the dedication you're showing to my story and to my newest readers, I hope you'll continue to like this story to the end. You have no idea how much I appreciate all the love I'm gettin'

In this chapter, I've 'hidden' dialogue from two movies (yes, the movie freak in me strikes again!). To give you a tiny hint, one of them is a worldwide known Sci-Fi movie, and the other one is a romantic comedy with the element of adventure in it as well. Now, whoever finds both of them and mentions which character is talking to whom, gets the next chapter e-mailed to him/her immediately. Remember to comment on the chapter too though, mmmkay? :-p****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ B-Garden visits the ruins that are now __Trabia__Garden__ and a secret held for many years within them resurfaces…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                                    Chapter 24: The final battle**

* * *

* * *

            It was almost eight in the morning in the snowy plains of Trabia. The Garden was still stationed there, giving the students the opportunity to train with some Ice monsters. Today it was Sunday though and it was a day of rest. A day of rest for the body, but not for the mind apparently.

            Seifer had hardly gotten any sleep during the night. He still couldn't fully comprehend the awful truth that had stricken them all. The woman they once all loved was their deadly enemy… Something just didn't fit though. There was no logical explanation for her sudden turn to the 'dark side'. He couldn't possibly believe that the benevolence and affection she'd shown them in the past was hypocritical. Something must've gone wrong. And he'd die before he allowed the extermination of Edea before he found out what that 'something' was. He just had to. Even if it meant lying to everyone else for now…

            He had woken up early that morning, but deciding to sleep in was not an option he was fond of right now. Instead, he decided to seize the opportunity and go out for a jog. He needed both the fresh air and the time to think. Wearing a pair of black sweatpants, and a thick grey, hooded sweater, he walked outside to the snowy landscape, not forgetting to take his Hyperion with him.

            The fresh morning air revitalized him, clearing out his lungs. He put his hood up and began jogging, the snow reaching up to his ankles almost. It had only been about twenty minutes, when he started to get short of breath. He stopped, resting his palms on his knees, breathing heavily **_'I have to cut down on smoking... I once could go on running non-stop for at least forty-five minutes…'_** he thought. He took a deep breath and stood up, deciding to do a few stretches. Somewhere in between the twentieth stretch, he noticed a heavily dressed figure, making its way from the plains near Trabia Garden towards their own. Following him or her, were a bunch of kids.

            He squinted, trying to make out who it was. He groaned; Quistis with her students. She was wearing a long brown coat, her peach battle gear underneath it, a long pink scarf with matching mittens and a pink woolen cap. She had worn her hair in two low ponytails, visible from underneath the cap. Her cheeks and nose were now red from the cold, making a great contrast with her pale, porcelain-like skin. Seifer sighed. He wasn't in the mood to face Quistis right now after yesterday's events. But it was too late. The children were already sprinting towards him.

- _ "Good morning, Commander Almasy!"_ chimed all the kids together.

- _"Good morning to you, too."_ said Seifer, forcing a smile, crossing his arms _"What are you all doing out here at this hour?"_

- _"They all insisted on seeing a Mesmerize from up close."_ answered Quistis, avoiding his gaze _"We didn't have any hours free during the week, so I agreed to take them today."_

- _"Commander, look!"_ said a red-haired little girl excitedly, holding up a Mesmerize blade _"Instructor Trepe gave it to me because I answered her question correctly!"_

- _"Well done."_ said Seifer grinning.

- _"Commander, can we stay out for a while and play?"_ asked a brown-haired boy.

- _"I dunno… There are a lot of monsters around…"_ replied Seifer, rubbing the back of his hair.

            The last thing he wanted right now, was having to worry about a bunch of little brats out in the unsafe fields of Bika.

- _"Pleeeeeeeease?"_ asked all the children in unison, smiling at him. Seifer sighed.

- _"Alright… But don't go far away."_ said Seifer wearily, earning excited shouts from all kids.

- _"Will you stay and watch us over with Instructor Trepe?"_ asked a blonde girl.

            Seifer and Quistis looked at each other. Quistis shrugged feebly.

- _"OK, I will. Now go on…"_ said Seifer.

            The blonde girl giggled and ran off to join her classmates in their snow fight. Seifer put his hands in his pockets and chuckled somewhat poignantly. Quistis smiled at the sight of the children playing.

- _"Look at them…" _she said _"So young, so carefree… I wonder if we ever were like this…"_

- _"Come on Trepe, it's not like you're getting old or anything. What are you, eighteen?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Almost nineteen." _she replied.

- _"Well what do you think eighteen is, old?" _asked Seifer, raising an eyebrow.

- _"Of course not. I just envy them… We all had to grow up so fast… It's really heard to remember the times when I had any fun as a child."_ she said gloomily.

            Seifer sighed, dragging his foot nonchalantly onto the ground, leaving a trail on the snow.

- _"Listen… About yesterday…" _Quistis began.

- _"Do we really need to talk about this?" _Seifer asked jadedly.

- _"I think we do." _Quistis replied, facing him _"I meant every word I said. We need you on this. And it's not just me saying this. We **all** agree. And… If you must know…" _she spoke, making Seifer turn to look at her _"Squall was the first one to say it. Honestly."_

           Seifer looked down at his feet once again and scoffed. A grin slowly spread wide on his face.

- _"So… The 'Puberty-Boy' finally came to his senses and realized my superiority?" _Seifer asked, smirking.

            Quistis chuckled. That was the Seifer she knew. And… liked.

- _"So you're with us?" _she asked.

- _"I… I don't know yet… I don't know if I can do it." _he admitted.

- _"It's not easy for any of us. Just… try. Please?" _she asked, looking at him _"It won't be complete without you…Lucky seven…"_ she added, smiling.

            Seifer's forehead creased at the sound of that.

**_                                                                                                                                                FLASHBACK_**

****

_"You guys… Matron is going to be soooo mad when she finds out we sneaked out again!" a blond little boy said._

_"Shut up, Cry-baby Zell!" another blond one spoke, that one older._

_"Yeah, we've got Sis with us too, so she can't be mad!" a chirpy, copper-haired girl spoke._

_A brown-haired boy frowned and wrapped his arm tighter around the oldest of the seven children. He didn't like it when other people called her 'Sis'. She was only **his** 'Sis'._

_"You have to promise you'll be quiet about this though, OK?" the older girl said with a warm smile "Otherwise I'll have to take you back…"_

_"No Sis! We won't talk, we'll be good!" the copper-haired girl spoke again._

_The seven made their way through the forest during nightfall, after the blond, oldest boy had insisted they went out to catch fireflies and keep them into a jar. The idea was welcomed by many cheers from all children, except for two…_

_"I'm scared…" Zell muttered, walking closer to the girl everyone called 'Sis'._

_"Then why did you come along, you baby?" the other blond boy spoke again._

_"Seifer, leave Zell alone." Sis spoke, mildly scolding him._

_"I think I'm a little scared, too…" the copper-haired girl said._

_"I'll protect you, Sefie." another brown-haired boy said, walking close to her "I won't let any monsters get you."_

_The little girl beamed at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek._

_"Ewww!__Irvine__ has girl cooties!" Seifer said, pointing at the other boy and laughing._

_"You have girl cooties, too!" Zell piped in "I saw you the other day, when-"_

_"Shut up! Shut up!" Seifer threatened, raising his small fist to punch Zell._

_"Both of you, stop it!" Sis said, grabbing Seifer's fist in mid-air "Be nice or we're going back!"_

_"Fine…" muttered Seifer, crossing his arms, kicking rocks on the ground with his shoes. _

_"Sis…" the other brown-haired boy spoke._

_"What is it, Squall?" the girl asked warmly._

_"If you're scared, too, you can hold my hand…I'll protect you…" Squall said. The girl smiled at him._

_Sis raked her hands through his silky hair and kissed him on the top of the head._

_Seifer turned his gaze to the far back of the small group, where a blonde little girl was walking alone, swatting the ground with a branch she'd cut out. The boy turned back to see if anyone was looking, then slowed his pace down until the girl caught up with him._

_"You scared, too?" he asked her._

_"Nuh-uh…" the girl replied, looking away._

_"You are too!" Seifer insisted, grinning "All girls are scaredy-cats!"_

_"Are not!" the girl retorted, head snapping back up._

_"Are too!"__ Seifer persevered "Quisty is a scaredy-cat! Quisty is a scaredy-cat!"_

_Quistis pursed her lips and almost in tears, ran after Seifer who had gone into a fit of laughter and was running back towards the rest of the group. They made a couple of rounds around them, yelling –in Quistis's case- and giggling –in Seifer's-, as Sis scolded them and told them to be quiet. The two blondes ran towards the back again, when they heard a noise._

_They both stopped dead in their tracks._

_"W-w-what was that?" Seifer stuttered._

_Quistis glanced around, fear-stricken, when she looked down at Seifer and began laughing._

_"What's so funny?!" Seifer asked, narrowing his small, green eyes at her._

_Quistis kept on laughing._

_"Stop laughing!" Seifer said, frowning, advancing on her._

_"Well, now we know who's the scaredy-cat!" Quistis said, between fits of giggles "You stepped on my branch!"_

_Seifer's little cheeks flushed into a zest shade of red as he turned around and realized that indeed, the source of the sound had been a branch, now laying split in two on the ground._

_"Quisty!__ Seifer!" came Sis's voice for a few feet ahead "Don't stay behind, or you might get lost!"_

_"Coming Sis!"__ Quistis chirped, beginning to walk towards her direction._

_Seifer was already ahead, brooding, hands slipped inside his pockets. Quistis caught up with him, giggling._

_"Are you mad because I called you a scaredy-cat?" she asked, still sniggering._

_A scoff was all she got for a response._

_"I'm sorry Seify, I didn't mean it!" she said, grinning._

_"I'm sorry Seify, I didn't mean it…" _Seifer repeated, mimicking her voice in a mocking tone, frowning.

_"Will you stop being mad at me if I tell you I'm scared, too?" Quistis asked, scooting closer to him._

_"I'm not scared." Seifer insisted._

_"Do you think there are monsters around here?" Quistis asked, looking around her cautiously._

_"Maybe… But we'll be OK." Seifer said shrugging._

_"How do you know?"_

_"We're seven, aren't we?" Seifer said "Seven always does the trick… Lucky seven." he added, smiling at her. _

_Quistis smiled back, looking down to the ground. Biting his bottom lip, Seifer hesitantly slid his arm over to hers, encasing her tiny palm into his slightly bigger one. Quistis blushed and grinned. _

_"Seifer!__ Quistis! I won't say it again! **Don't** stay behind!" Sis called once more._

_"Seifer has girl cooties! Seifer has girl cooties!" Zell called. _

_"Shut up, Cry-baby!" Seifer called, letting go of Quistis and chasing after Zell…_

**_                                                                                                                                       END OF FLASHBACK_**

            Quistis was still smiling at Seifer, patiently waiting for him to snap out of his trance and respond.

- _"You remembered…" _he said in awe. Quistis beamed at him and nodded in response _"I… I-I'll try… But I don't promise anything." _Seifer replied, a grim, lopsided smile on his face.

- _"Fair enough." _Quistis said, nodding **_'That's a start…'_**

            A long, silent pause engulfed them, as they kept their eyes onto the children before them.

- _"Remember,"_ Seifer said suddenly, chuckling _"One of the rare times when it snowed in Centra? We used to team up boys versus girls in snow fights, but you were outnumbered, so you had Matron on your side."_

- _"Yes… I remember that too…"_ she said, smiling.

- _"And you always won, because I ended up burying Chicken-wuss in the snow, leaving __Irvine__ and Squall to fight alone."_ he added, laughing.

            Quistis laughed heartily along with him. They stopped after a while, looking at each other. Quistis looked away blushing, turning her gaze upon the kids. One of them had gotten stuck in the snow in waist-length. Quistis and Seifer both laughed as they watched it, struggling to get away.

- _"I'll go…"_ Seifer said, walking over to that kid.

            He pulled up the little boy from the arms, setting him down on his feet. The boy thanked him, grinning awkwardly and ran off again. Seifer chuckled and turned around. As soon as he did, a snowball landed square on his face. He coughed, clearing the snow from his face, squinting. A few feet away from him, stood a giggling Quistis, traces of snow visible in her mittens, betraying the identity of the 'snowball-thrower'. Seifer narrowed his eyes at her, but smiled. He looked at Quistis, surprised at the mischievous grin that had spread across her always serious face. She seemed loosened up, cheerful, provocative... and damn sexy.

- _"Care for a re-match for old times' sake?" _she asked, in a daring manner, tossing another snowball up and down in mid-air on her palm. Seifer grinned devilishly.

- _"You're goin' down Trepe…" _he said, bending down, cupping a handful of snow.

            Quistis squealed like a schoolgirl, as she dodged Seifer's well-aimed snowball, while throwing him her own, getting him on the shoulder. She began running, laughing like mad, while snowballs landed on her back, or passed inches away from her face, whistling in mid-air. She grabbed snow from the ground beneath her, making a new snowball, sloppily throwing it at Seifer. He bent down, dodging it and threw her another one, striking her right on the face. Quistis let out a sound between a grunt and laughter and began clearing her face with her gloved hands. She opened her eyes soon enough to see a grayish-black blur launching itself on top of her.

            Seifer had jumped like a predator on its prey on her, grabbing her from the waist, pinning her down on the snowy ground. Quistis groaned in pain, but laughed. Seifer chuckled along with her.

- _"You lost, Trepe. **I** win this time…"_ he said smirking, looking at her.

            Quistis scoffed, but smiled. They had both stopped laughing now and had become aware of their position. Seifer was lying on top of her, still holding her waist, while she had her palms slightly pressed against his shoulders. She looked beautiful in her 'helpless' position underneath him and Seifer couldn't help but notice that. He brushed away a stray lock that had fallen on her face and swallowed with difficulty. Without realizing it, Quistis touched his cheek with her gloved hand and her lips twitched just a tiny bit upwards. This was different, this **felt** different from that moment they'd had on that balcony. He could **feel** the change in her; he could see it in her eyes. The time was right.

            Their chests were touching and both of them could feel their hearts pounding wildly like drums. Seifer took a deep breath and leaned down to her. None of them had their eyes closed; they wanted to keep them open to the last minute, not willing to lose a single second of the moment. When their faces where less than an inch apart, a fit of suppressed laughter was heard and the spell broke instantly. They both turned to their right, not moving at all from their previous position. They saw all the kids from Quistis's class gathered, looking at them, grinning and chuckling.

- _"Yay! Instructor Trepe is going to marry Commander Almasy!" _said a raven-haired girl, giggling in delight.

            All the children burst into laughter, as Seifer and Quistis widened their eyes in embarrassment and quickly pulled away from each other. Seifer stood up, clearing the snow from his clothes, offering a hand to Quistis, without looking at her. Quistis took it, swiftly getting up, dusting off snow as well. The kids hadn't stopped laughing, making Seifer and Quistis' position even more awkward.

- _"Come on kids, time to go back inside…"_ Quistis said, blushing profusely, heading towards the Gates of Garden.

            The children followed her, some throwing glances back at Seifer, giggling. Seifer had gotten burning red in the face and as he looked down at his crotch, he noticed that he was in **serious** need of a cold shower...

* * *

_            Seifer went jogging again the following morning. He was dressed in the same attire, running around the snowy plains in Trabia. At some point, a snowball squashed on his bare neck, making him turn around. He saw Quistis, smiling at him, dressed in the same clothes as the previous morning. She grinned and beckoned him to follow her with her index finger._

_            Seifer smirked and began striding towards her, through the snow. Quistis let out a heavenly, angel-like giggle and turned around, beginning to walk away. With each step, she removed one piece of clothing, until she was only wearing her coat. Seifer was struggling to get to her. Quistis turned around, looking at him mischievously, letting the coat fall just a bit to reveal her bare shoulder. She winked at him and pulled it back up._

_            Seifer felt his blood boiling in desire and began running after her. He jumped and grabbed her from the waist, pinning her back-first on the ground, once again. He quickly leaned in and kissed her greedily, while she held the base of his neck with one hand. With one move, she pulled the belt of her coat and flashed it open. Seifer's eyes widened at the sight of her naked body underneath it. He grabbed her waist and pulled her into another kiss, while she began pulling his sweater off…_

- _"Gaahh!"_ Seifer choked, jolting up in bed.

            He closed his eyes and let out a whiny groan, falling heavy on his pillow.

- _"Not again dammit… Not again…"_ he whined.

- _"Commanders Almasy and Leonhart please report to the bridge immediately."_ Nida's voice came through the intercom _"I repeat: Commanders Almasy and Leonhart please report to the bridge immediately."_

- _"Oh great…"_ Seifer groaned and got up.

* * *

            Squall strode down the Dormitory hallway. He had been called only a few minutes ago via the PA to assemble at the bridge, much to his dislike. He hated it when he had to ruin his daily morning routine, especially when it involved being interrupted from his morning shower. He ran a hand through his hastily dried hair. Still damp. Thankfully, it was a warm day and he didn't run the risk of catching a cold.

            Suddenly, the door of a dorm whose inhabitant he knew all too well flung open and out came a seemingly quite irritated Seifer. The tall blond slid his hands inside the pockets of his black pants and strode down the hallway sulking. Squall debated on whether he wanted to pick up his pace and walk to the bridge along with Seifer. He quickly pushed that thought away. He wasn't in the mood to hear Seifer bitching… Unfortunately for him, the blond left him with no choice, as he stopped on his tracks upon hearing footsteps behind him and turned around.

- _"Hurry up. I don't have all day." _Seifer growled.

- _"No-one asked you to wait for me…" _Squall mumbled, once reaching him _"And a good morning to you too." _he said sarcastically, now walking down the corridor next to Seifer.

- _"Maybe for you…"_ Seifer retorted crankily.

            The two young Commanders continued their walk out in the Main Hall silently, heading towards the elevator.

- _"I'm not seeing my favorite furry jacket and I'm worried…" _Seifer said at some point mockingly, referring to Squall's attire _"Has hell frozen over?"_

- _"Obviously not, since I'm seeing **my** favorite grey coat, even though it's damn hot outside…" _Squall spat back. Seifer scoffed.

            Old habits died hard apparently, as Seifer was indeed wearing his trench coat that day. He'd been sensible enough though, as to fold the long sleeves up to his elbows. Squall inwardly felt grateful that Seifer was wearing his coat however, as it made the white 'Barbie is a bitch' T-shirt he was wearing underneath seem less apparent. Squall on the other side, was in his usual attire, minus the leather fur-lined jacket.

            The two men reached the entrance Hall and walked up the small stairway to the elevator. Seifer strode inside first, punching the button to the third floor casually. Behind him, Squall let out a weary sigh and shook his head in disbelief.

- _"You break it, you pay it." _he said coldly.

- _"My pocket can handle it quite well, Leonhart…" _Seifer said smirking, leaning his back against the wall of the elevator shaft. Squall rolled his eyes _"Ahh… another day at the office…" _Seifer said, once the doors slid open.

* * *

            As soon as they stepped inside, they came across Nida, Xu and Quistis, who seemed quite distraught about something.

- _"So, what's so important that you had to interrupt my beauty sleep?" _Seifer asked. Everyone rolled their eyes.

- _"I think you'd better take a look at this." _Nida said, handing Squall a pair of binoculars.

            Seifer cocked an eyebrow and walked over to Xu, who had another pair hanging from her neck, pulling it up to his eyes. Xu staggered and almost choked, making Seifer grin deviously as he looked through the binoculars. A big red blur was visible in the distance and as Seifer zoomed it closer, the image of a floating Galbadia Garden was made clear. Seifer cursed and let the binoculars go, earning a glare from Xu.

- _"What do you think?" _Nida addressed the two Commanders.

- _"The battle's inevitable…" _said Squall plainly.

            Seifer sighed inwardly. He was left with no choice.

            For the time being…

- _"I say let's rumble."_ he said.

- _"The Sorceress is supposedly with them, right?" _Xu spoke _"So this is the final battle?"_

- _"Seems like it." _replied Seifer, frowning.

- _"I guess we should let everyone know then." _Quistis said. Seifer looked at her puzzled, making her roll her eyes.

- _"She means give out orders."_ Squall said _"So, what should we say?"_

- _"Well, we gotta keep it simple or chaos will ensue…" _Seifer said _"I say go with attack and defense plans."_

- _"Alright," _Squall said, crossing his arms _"We need to decide on where to concentrate our forces. They might try to infiltrate us while on air."_

- _"Well, the only areas they can come through are the Quad and the Front Gate." _said Seifer, rubbing his chin _"All other areas are barricaded by roofs. And we gotta make sure there's no confusion over who will go where. Divide them into teams with ID numbers ending in odd or even numbers."  _

- _"Right… Shouldn't we also inform them about the Garden's course?" _Squall asked.

- _"I don't think it's really that necessary, but go ahead." _Seifer replied shrugging.

- _"Oh and we should have someone take care of the junior classmen." _Quistis piped in.

- _"Alright. Garden's route, attack and defense plans, junior classmen and make sure you call the others up to the bridge." _Seifer said to Squall.

- _"Why should **I** make the announcements?" _asked Squall, frowning.

- _"Just get on with it, Leonhart. We're losing time." _said Seifer casually.

            Quistis frowned as she looked at Seifer. He wasn't usually one to be afraid of public speeches, but this time he seemed a bit… shy to speak to everyone. Squall groaned and walked over to the PA. He turned it on and spoke.

- _"This is Squall speaking."_ he said _"This is an emergency so listen carefully. We're going into battle against __Galbadia__Garden__. The Garden will proceed straight ahead. Set speed at 50% in case we need to make evasive maneuvers. 1st and 2nd Class Sabers, assemble in the Parking Lot. Those with MG Ranks 3 or above, head for the 2nd floor deck and await instructions. Be sure to warm up. The enemy will probably come aboard. We must concentrate our forces at the Front Gate and the Quad. If your student ID number is even, report to the Quad. If it's odd, report to the Front Gate. Those who have student ID numbers ending with an 8, take care of the junior classmen. Zell, Selphie, Irvine, come up to the bridge right away."_

            Squall turned the PA off.

- _"Hey, what about Rinoa?"_ Seifer asked. Squall fell into thought for a few seconds.

- _"We'll assign someone to take care of her."_ he replied eventually.

- _"Shouldn't we allow her to fight?"_ Seifer asked, cocking an eyebrow.

- _"Think she's up to something like that? She might be a good fighter, but she's not as experienced as everyone else here."_ Squall said.

- _"Got a point there…"_ replied Seifer.

            Right then, the elevator to the bridge got called and soon, Selphie and Irvine appeared up.

- _"We heard you on the PA,"_ Irvine began breathlessly _"So this is it, then?"_ Seifer nodded.

- _"Whoo-hoo! Garden vs. the Sorceress, The Final __Battle__! This is so exciting!"_ Selphie exclaimed, jumping up and down.

- _"It never ceases to amaze me, her ability to make everything sound like Pro-Wrestling…"_ said Seifer, shaking his head in disbelief.

            Quistis and Irvine chuckled, while the latter wrapped his arm around Selphie's shoulder. Selphie stuck her tongue out at Seifer and gently nudged Irvine away.

- _"So what are we going to do?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"Well… Wait. Where's the Chicken?"_ asked Seifer.

- _"Zell…? Umm, I think he's taking a nap. "Yeah, he said he hasn't slept at all lately."_ Selphie replied, grinning awkwardly.

- _"What…? Oh yeah."_ said Quistis, nodding.

- _"You're shitting me, right?"_ Seifer asked frowning _"We're going against the final battle with the whole of G-Garden and the Sorceress and he's **napping**?!"_ he growled **_'Sounds really freaky, but that guy seems to speak my thoughts out loud sometimes…' _**Squall thought.

- _"Look… It's nothing… It's just… our little secret."_ Quistis said. Seifer cocked an eyebrow at her _"Don't look at me like that! I'm not saying anything!"_

- _"Sigh Whatever… I'm gonna go check the Quad. Who's coming with me?"_ asked Squall.

- _"I'll come."_ Irvine said.

- _"OK. Selphie, you go find Zell."_ Squall told her.

- _"Gotcha!"_ Selphie exclaimed.

- _"I'll go check the Front Gate, then."_ said Seifer _"Trepe, you're with me."_ Seifer said. Quistis nodded.

- _"Wait. Shouldn't one of you stick around here?"_ asked Nida. Squall and Seifer looked at each other.

- _"Fine, I'll stay for a while."_ Seifer said _"Selphie, you and the Wuss lead the team at the Front Gate. I'll come check upon you later with Trepe."_

- _"OK! Leave it up to me!"_ Selphie said chirpily _"Oh, wait. What about Rinoa?"_

- _"You and Zell take care of her, alright?"_ asked Squall. Selphie nodded and left.

- _"Xu, you go cover the Parking Lot."_ Seifer ordered Xu, who nodded and took the elevator down.

- _"Come on, Irvine."_ said Squall. 

            As soon as everyone left, Seifer began pacing back and forth the bridge, looking deep in thought. Nida kept his eyes in front of him, piloting the Garden. Quistis looked at Seifer and spoke.

- _"What's on your mind?"_ she asked. Seifer sighed and stop walking for a minute.

- _"Their Garden has more experienced fighters. I don't think we're a match against them…"_ he replied, frowning _"We gotta figure out a plan that won't be based upon our strength, or we'll surely lose…"_

- _"Anything in mind?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"Nope… Thinking…"_ said Seifer, and resumed his pacing.

            Quistis fell in thought as well. Seifer was right; they couldn't base the attack on their skills alone, or else they were doomed. Suddenly, she noticed Seifer stopping, his eyes widening a bit.

- _"Wait…"_ he mumbled, _"What if-"_ he began.

- _"Great Hyne!"_ Nida suddenly exclaimed.

- _"What?"_ asked Seifer and Quistis in unison, walking over to him.

- _"They're heading right for us!"_ Nida shouted.

- _"What do you mean, 'heading right for us'?!"_ hissed Seifer _"Maneuver the Garden outta their way, then!"_

- _"I did! And they changed their course as well, heading towards our Garden again!"_ Nida said worriedly.

- _"Oh dear Hyne, we're gonna crash!"_ Quistis exclaimed.

* * *

            Zell and Selphie were down at the Quad, giving out orders to the soldiers gathered there, Rinoa included. Squall and Irvine had just left the Quad, and where headed back up to the bridge. All of a sudden, a roaring sound was heard and Selphie jerked her head to her right. Her bright green eyes widened.

- _"Holy mother of Hyne!" _she yelled.

            A swarm of Galbadian soldiers all clad in blue was visible… in mid air. All of them were riding G-Garden motorcycles and had launched from their Garden, right onto theirs. The bikes had soared right through the dangerously closing distance between the two mobile academies, leaving trails of exhaust behind. The bikes soon landed hard on the Quad, roaming around the terrified students, wreaking havoc everywhere.

* * *

- _"Oh dear Hyne, we're gonna crash!"_ Quistis exclaimed.

- _"GO TO THE FUCKING RIGHT!"_ Seifer yelled.

            Nida lost no second and immediately pushed the heavy steering mechanism to the right. Seifer grabbed the PA.

- _"The enemy's close! Quad team, watch out!"_ he called.

            Despite Nida's evasive maneuver, the Garden was unable to move fast enough. The two Gardens collided, creating a great earthquake that shook the entire academy. Nida gripped the handle near the steering mechanism, to prevent himself from falling. Seifer lost his balance and hit the glass wall behind him hard with his back. Quistis shrieked and missed her step, falling right into Seifer's arms, back first. The tall blond grabbed her just in time, wrapping one arm around her waist tightly, balancing himself by pressing the other hand up against the wall behind him. Quistis blushed and squirmed in his embrace.

- _"Let go." _she whispered.__

- _"Shh." _Seifer silenced her, trying hard to listen to something.__

- _"Let go, **please**." _Quistis asked him again, trying to pry his arm away.__

- _"Don't get excited." _Seifer retorted, still clutching her, while trying to listen.__

- _"Commander, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited." _Quistis spat back, frowning.__

- _"Sorry, sweetheart." _Seifer said, finally letting her go_ "We haven't got time for anything else." _he added, winking at her and approached Nida.__

            Quistis blushed furiously and turned her gaze away.

- _"Nida, what's this sound?" _Seifer asked.

- _"I dunno…"_ Nida said, trying to listen as well.

A humming sound could be heard, and suddenly a crash pierced the air from the distance.

- _"What the-?" _Seifer said, and turned around, running towards the elevator to go check it out. Quistis ran over as well, but not before…

- _"Watch out!"_ Nida had time to yell, before another collision took place.

Seifer and Quistis both tripped; Quistis fell face first onto the floor, Seifer falling right on top of her. He rolled off her immediately.

- _"Thanks for the timely warning, Nida!" _he growled at him sarcastically.

Right then, a message came through the intercom in the bridge.

- _"The classroom 5A is under attack!" _shouted a desperate female voice _"I repeat: The classroom 5A is under attack! We need back-up immediately!"_

Seifer got up on his feet and pulled Quistis up from the wrist.

- _"Come on, Trepe. We gotta go." _he urged her, pulling her over to the elevator with him.

* * *

            Selphie and Rinoa followed Zell, in their attempt to stop the Galbadian bikes from leaving the Quad and entering the Garden. Zell dashed forward, cracking his knuckles in preparation, while Selphie behind him, took out her nunchaku and began swinging it skillfully. Rinoa slid her hand to the side of her hip, ready to take out her Cardinal, when she heard a cracking noise from right behind her. She turned her head to the side abruptly for a split second.

            It was enough.

            The ground underneath her shook violently and she watched in terror, as a deep crack appeared onto the solid concrete next to her, speedily spreading. Before she knew it, a great mass ground detached itself from the rest of the Quad and began slipping down to thin air.

- _"Rinoa!" _Selphie shrieked.

            The raven-haired girl let out a gasp and reached out to grab onto anything that could keep her up on the surface. Her fingernails scraped the hard soil, but didn't manage to keep her up. She slipped further down, the edges of the rocks scraping against her chest and torso, bruising her. Rinoa winced and shrieked, her hands finally getting hold of a steady outcrop. She held on to it for dear life, feeling the rest of her body suspending . Swallowing with difficulty, he looked down to the abyss lying before her. The chunk of ground that had been detached from the Quad fell further down, reaching the golden helix spinning underneath the Garden, smashing into shards…     

* * *

            Squall and Irvine ran down the Main Hall, towards the Front Gate. They had been called by the PA to assist the forces stationed there immediately.

            Squall sighed. The condition of Garden was getting more and more critical with each passing second. The Galbadian forces were much stronger and well-trained than their own. It was only a matter of time before they succumbed. Squall knew it; he couldn't deny it. And he was certain that everyone else did as well, by taking a mere glance on the expression of their faces. They were slowly but steadily drowning, desperately trying to cling on something, **anything** to give them hope.

- _"Squall! __Irvine__!"_

            Selphie's scream made both men stop in their tracks. Squall shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. That shriek couldn't possibly be the bearer of good news… And right now, Squall wasn't sure he could handle any more bad ones…

- _"Squall!!!" _yelled Zell _"Rinoa's in trouble!"_

            **_'Dammit… I don't need this right now…' _**Squall thought, sighing and turning around.

- _"What's wrong with her?!" _Irvine asked worriedly.

- _"She's gonna fall off Garden!" _Selphie exclaimed **_'Damn...' _**thought Squall.

- _"WHAT?!" _shouted Irvine _"HOW?!"_

- _"A great chunk of the Quad fell off and Rinoa was on it!" _Zell narrated _"So now she's hanging from a rock that could fall off any time now!"_

            Squall ran a hand through his hair… Could the situation get any worse? 

            Right on cue, Xu sprinted down their way, trying to catch her breath from running.

            - _"Squall," _she panted _"The enemy's heading this way!"_

- _"Squall, DID YOU HEAR ME?!"_ Zell yelled furiously at him

- _"YEAH!!!"_ the young Commander snapped _"But she's not the only one in danger!"_

- _"Didn't think you were so heartless, Squall."_ Irvine said disapprovingly _"Rinoa is gonna die! Don't you realize that?!"_

            Squall spent a moment to regroup his thoughts. They had to split in two groups. Someone had to go with Xu and someone had to help Rinoa… And where the hell were Seifer and Quistis?!

- _"Do you know where Seifer and Quistis are?" _Squall asked Xu.

- _"Last time I contacted the bridge, they were heading off to one of the classrooms to block an airborne attack." _the brunette replied.

- _"Can you get in touch with them?" _Squall asked.

- _"I can try their radio, but I can't guarantee anything…"_ Xu said, shrugging.

- _"OK, try that and if you find them, tell them to head for the bridge. I'll be there as soon as I can." _Squall said _"Selphie, you go to the Front Gate and Xu will join you after she gets in touch with Seifer."_

- _"Gotcha." _Selphie said firmly.

- _"__Irvine__, come with me. We'll make sure the second floor is clear and head for the bridge to reorganize." _Squall went on _"Zell, you help Rinoa. Do whatever it takes, alright?!" _Squall asked his blond peer, a hint of worry quite apparent in his voice.

- _"Leave it to me!" _Zell replied, dashing towards the Quad.

            Squall made a run towards the stairs to the elevator, Irvine right behind him. His anxiety over the fate of Garden was building up second by second, but he had to retain a solid and strong façade for everyone. Time was running out for the SeeDs of Balamb and Squall was shocked to realize, that his heart ached most for the possible loss of one who did not belong within the SeeD population…

* * *

            Seifer leered down at his last remaining opponent alive, as he drew his last breath and his life fell lifeless to the side. He slowly got up, raking a hand through his hair, swinging his Hyperion to rinse off a great portion of blood that lingered upon it. He turned and looked at the female SeeD crouching behind a few desks, holding two Junior classmen close.

- _"Are the children safe?" _he called to her.

            The blonde girl raised her head and rose up to her feet once realizing there was no danger to them close anymore.

- _"Yes, yes, they're fine." _she replied, hands still shaking.

            Quistis walked over to the little boy and girl, kneeling down next to them.

- _"Aeris, Keith?" _she spoke softly _"It's OK, now. The danger's gone."_

            The two children turned their gazes upon her. They were both Quistis's students and their faces immediately became calmer in relief of seeing their Instructor.

- _"Are you hurt?" _Quistis asked them.

- _"I…I think I hurt my ankle Instructor Trepe…" _Aeris mumbled, rubbing her ankle in comfort.__

- _"Can you walk?" _Seifer asked, having approached them as well.__

- _"I… I don't know…" _the girl replied, shrugging.__

            Seifer suspended his weapon from his belt, kneeling down close to the girl. He picked her up in his arms and began walking towards the exit of the classroom, closely followed by the rest.

- _"Is there someplace safe you can take them?"_ Quistis asked the girl.

- _"I think they'll be alright by the Infirmary." _she replied _"I was about to take them there, but-"_

- _"Khhhuistis? It's Xu khhh…"_

            Quistis turned her attention to her radio and picked it up.

- _"Xu? Is anything wrong?" _Quistis spoke into the radio.

- _"khhhIs Seifkhhhhhith you?"_

- _"Yes, why?" _asked the blonde.__

- _"Skhhhall said you kkkould head to the bridge rikkhhhh now." _

- _"Alright, we're going. Over." _Quistis replied hastily, turning off the radio.__

- _"Xu says Squall told us both to head to the bridge now." _Quistis addressed Seifer. He nodded.

- _"Take them down to the Infirmary." _Seifer spoke to the girl who had been taking care of the children _"And be careful."_

            He made a move to hand Aeris to her, when the little girl kissed him on the cheek and mumbled a faint 'Thank you.' to him. Seifer didn't say a word, just placed Aeris on the girl's embrace and stepped back.

- _"Come on." _he told Quistis, heading towards the elevator.

            The blonde Instructor walked inside the shaft, pressing the button for the third floor. Seifer leaned against one of the glass walls, running a hand over his sweaty forehead. He stared at the Garden laying down before him, filtered through blue glass. Chaos was reigning downstairs. Students were running around wildly, Galbadian bikes lay among corridors ruined, fallen SeeDs were filling the archways, covered in blood.

            Some were even in search of lost limbs.

            He was thankful once his vision was blocked by the concrete walls of the floor they were approaching. The elevator stopped and he made a move to step outside, when Quistis's hand gripped his arm, holding him back. He turned around to face her, a questioning expression on his face.

- _"That was really sweet of you back there." _she said _"I told you the Garden needs you."_

            Seifer opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced when her lips pressed against his cheek, right next to the corner of his lips. He swallowed with difficulty as she brushed by him and out of the elevator. He muttered a curse and followed her outside.

* * *

            The two blondes appeared into the main Hall of the third floor. They found Dr. Kadowaki there, waiting for them.

- _"What's the situation?"_ asked the doctor.

- _"It's complete chaos down there…" _Seifer replied, shaking his head _"We're loosing too many, too fast."_

            All heads turned around as Squall and Irvine entered.

- _"Oh good… You're both here." _Squall said, nodding.

- _"Well?" _Dr. Kadowaki asked him.

- _"We were able to stop the first two waves of the attack." _Squall replied_ "But our forces aren't looking too good. Many are injured. If they send another wave, I don't know if we can hold them."_

            The elevator doors slid open once again, as Selphie barged inside.

- _"How's your team?" _Dr. Kadowaki asked her.__

- _"Bad." _replied the girl, shaking her head while trying to catch her breath_ "They're barely holding them off."_

- _"So… looks like this is it." _said the elder woman.__

- _"Their Garden has more experienced fighters." _spoke Quistis_ "On the other hand, most of our troops are students who are still in training. Like Squall said, one more wave and we might be finished."_

- _"Well…" _said Seifer_ "Attacking them seems to be our only chance. If our defense keeps failing, then we've got no other choice."_

- _"The only problem is," _said Squall_ "How are we going to board their Garden?"_

- _"Say," _Irvine piped in_ "How about if we crash into their Garden? I know it sounds crazy but at least we'll be able to get in. Their pilot's been ramming us all along. I'm sure Nida can do it, too."_

            Squall and Seifer looked at each other. The blond nodded firmly.

- _"We have no choice."_ said Squall _"Let's do it."_

            The sound of the elevator doors opening once again announced Zell's arrival into the room.

- _"Where's Rinoa?"_ Squall asked him.

- _"Sorry, man."_ Zell replied dejectedly _"There's nothin' I can do! There's no way to get to the Quad! Those bastards have the area barricaded. Man! The only way we can get to her is by going over the roof or flying there!"_

- _"What the hell are y'all talking about?" _Seifer asked, crossing his arms.__

- _"Rinoa's hanging from the edge of Garden, about to fall off…" _Selphie replied.__

- _"WHAT?!" _Seifer and Quistis yelled in unison.__

- _"Whoa, wait a minute." _Irvine addressed Zell_ "You just gave up on her, didn't you?" _Before Zell had time to reply, Irvine turned over to Squall_ "Listen… Do me a favor. YOU go help Rinoa. It may be too late, but don't give up until you're CERTAIN that there's nothing more you can do!"_

- _"I...I have to lead the attack with Seifer…" _Squall mumbled.__

- _"I don't care what you have to do, or how you feel." _Irvine insisted_ "Besides, I'm sure Seifer can pull it off just fine."_

            Seifer didn't speak, just turned his gaze away, when he felt all pairs of eyes lock upon him.

- _"Just do it… please!" _Irvine went on_ "For Rinoa."_

- _"Listen to __Irvine__, Squall." _Quistis said_ "She's one of us."_

- _"C'mon, Squall! Please!" _Zell pleaded_ "It's gotta be you! You're the only one that has to save her!"_

            Squall ran a hand through his hair, sighing. It's not like he didn't **want** to help Rinoa… But he was a Commander, he had to be there for his army… He, too, was certain Seifer could make it alone, but he just wouldn't feel right if he hadn't aided him in some way…

- _"I'll take everyone inside __Galbadia__Garden__. Don't worry." _Irvine said_ "I know the place like the back of my hand."_

- _"We'll lead all our forces inside and wait for you." _Quistis added.__

- _"OK, OK…" _Squall said _"I'll go. You can make it, right?" _he addressed Seifer.__

- _"Of course I can." _Seifer replied bluntly, face expressionless.__

            Squall nodded and dashed away towards the elevator and out of sight.

- _"Some of us will need to lead everyone from the Front Gate." _Seifer spoke _"The rest will access their Garden from the balcony on the second floor."_

- _"Seifer, you're forgetting something very important."_ Dr. Kadowaki said to him.

- _"What?"_ he asked, frowning.

- _"You need to talk to your men. Encourage them." _she replied _"It's your duty as a leader."_

- _"I'm pretty much certain I'm the last person they want to hear from." _Seifer replied, grinning sarcastically.

            Dr. Kadowaki frowned and turned her gaze over to Quistis.

- _"Don't look at me… I've spoken to him, but he doesn't listen…"_ the blonde replied, shrugging.

- _"Seifer, just because you're not 'picture-perfect' doesn't mean people don't admire you." _the doctor said.

- _"Listen, you don't have to lie. I-" _Seifer began.

- _"I'm not. You'll be surprised to hear how many young men and women in this Garden look up to you, just like they look up to Squall." _Dr. Kadowaki went on.

- _"Fine, I'll talk to them." _Seifer cut her off, heading towards the lift.

            He stepped up onto the platform of the bridge and stood in discomfort before the microphone of the PA. Taking a deep breath, he switched it on.

- _"Uhh… This is Seifer." _he spoke, his voice sounding within every room, every hall in Garden _"I__… I… I know everyone of you is probably exhausted and too tired to go on, but I need to ask for your courage. I'm not going to lie to you; our situation is not looking good. However, we still have a chance to prevail. Our defenses have been weakened greatly, but we can still attack. To do this, we'll have to crash into the enemy's Garden, so I want you all to be prepared for a major collision."_

            He covered the microphone, as he drew a deep breath.

- _"The attack will be led by myself, Quistis, __Irvine__, Zell and Selphie. So please support us to the fullest." _he spoke _"I'll once again ask for your courage. We all need to be strong, because today we're fighting for our home. It doesn't matter where everyone comes from. We've all grown up in this very Garden and it's a home to all of us. We might get hurt, we might get beaten, but by Hyne… We will **not **go down easily."   _

* * *

            Seifer reached the third floor, where everyone was waiting for him. Dr. Kadowaki smiled and rubbed his back affectionately. Seifer returned the smile and turned to his comrades.

- _"We need to divide in two teams. I'll go through the second floor exit with some one else and the rest will lead our troops from the Front Gate." _he said _"Who's coming with me?"_

- _"I will." _Quistis said immediately.__

- _"OK." _he said, nodding at her _"Zell, __Irvine__, Selphie, head down to the Front Gate and show everyone inside."_

- _"Got it!" _Irvine said sportingly.__

- _"Dr. Kadowaki," _Seifer addressed her _"Go give Nida the order to head straight for them."_

- _"I will. Be careful… All of you." _the elder woman said and walked over to the lift.__

            Slipping one palm underneath his T-shirt, he checked to see if 'something' was in order. Quistis caught glimpse of a sliver of light, reflecting on a shiny surface.

- _"What's that?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Just some back-up provisions…" _Seifer replied, smirking _"Y'know… In case of an emergency…"_

- _"Do you always carry it?" _she asked again.

- _"More or less, yeah… Never know when you I might need it…"_ 

            Seifer finished fumbling around with his T-shirt and looked around him. Everyone was gone. He turned his gaze over to Quistis.

- _"OK, let's do this. Are you ready?" _he asked her.

            Quistis took his hand in hers and smiled at him.

- _"Yes."_

* * *

            The two Gardens were floating in mid-air, dangerously close with each other. B-Garden's so far evasive route, abruptly turned into an assaulting one, heading straight towards the greater, crimson academy. The two constructions approached more and more in deadly speed, until they collided.

            A grand earthquake shook both grounds violently and millions of sparks flew from the contact of metal against metal as the two propellers rammed into each other. Walls trembled and threatened to collapse, while the distant sound of screams echoed from both academies.

            Seifer and Quistis seized the opportunity and jumped over the railing of the second floor balcony, landing onto the soft, grassy terrain of G-Garden. Immediately, they broke into a run, hand-in-hand, unnoticed by the Galbadian SeeDs on those grounds. They were either too occupied within battle with their enemies, or were heading towards the overwhelming crowd of blue-clad Balamb SeeDs that was approaching them.

            The two blondes soon reached the back Gate of the building, where Seifer stopped on his tracks, pulling Quistis into a stop as well. He turned and took a look behind them. Irvine and the others had made it; their forces were now flooding G-Garden in hundreds. From the distance, he could decipher the forms of his three friends, heading towards them. He turned and looked at his partner.

- _"Listen, Quistis…" _he spoke, looking into her eyes. The girl reciprocated the eye-contact eagerly _"I… I just… I just want you to know…"_

            She held his hands gingerly, urging him to go on. Instead of speaking though, Seifer leaned in and pressed his lips upon hers, holding the back of her head with one palm he freed. Quistis closed her eyes and offered no resistance to his kiss.

            He felt as if he was betraying her. She had no idea –no one did- about what his plan had been all along. He sensed she would never forgive him, but this was something he needed to do. He didn't want to look back, knowing he hadn't even tried. He didn't know if he would get out of it alive, so he needed to feel this, feel **her** one more time.

            Maybe even the last.

            He drew back, cradling her face into the crook of his neck. He approached his lips to her ear.

- _"I'm sorry…" _he whispered. Quistis didn't speak at first.

- _"For kissing me?" _she asked faintly.

- _"No… For this." _he said.

            Kissing her temple, he brought his lips close to her ear once again.

- _"Sleep." _he muttered.

            Quistis's eyes widened and she pushed Seifer away.

- _"NO!" _she yelled, as she felt a surge of eerie calmness take over her body_ "Seif… No… N-n-n…"_

            Seifer held her unconscious body and took one last look behind him. He could see them clearly now; Zell, Selphie and Irvine. They were calling out for them.

            He smiled poignantly. She'd be safe now that they were here.

            Gently, he laid her down onto the grass and placed a kiss upon her forehead.

            He got up, sprinting towards the entrance, ignoring the shouts he heard from his peers. He reached the threshold and glanced swiftly at the sleeping form of Quistis.

            **_'Quistis… I'm sorry…'_**

            He walked through the Gate.

* * *

**A/N:** Once again, comments on this chapter and your reviews on the previous one will be posted in my journal.

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

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_Hehehe… Yeah right! :-p_

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	26. Chapter 25: The Sorceress's Knight

**A/N:** Damn, that chapter broke my review-receiving record… **Twenty** for one chapter?! You guys are all magnificent. Love ya all! sends kisses to everyone

Most of you found one of the movie references, which was from **_Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes back_**. Don't you just **love** Han and Leia? : ) They remind me of Sei and Quis on the bickering part… To anyone who missed that reference, too, it was the following dialogue:

_"Let go." _

_"Shh." _

_"Let go, **please**." _

_"Don't get excited." _

_"Commander, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited." _

_"Sorry, sweetheart. We haven't got time for anything else." _

It's exactly the same, only Leia says 'Captain'.

The other one (which no-one found) was from a movie starring Harrison Ford again : ) It's called **_Six days, Seven Nights_**. Dialogue 'borrowed' is:

_"I'm sorry…"_

_"For kissing me?"___

_"No… For this."_ __

On a final note, much credit goes to Chris for this chapter, as we worked a great deal to reach a conclusion onto who the Knight would be. So I hope our work won't go to waste and that you'll enjoy this.  

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ The final battle between the two Gardens commences. Quistis and Seifer are the first to reach G-Garden and right when they're about to infiltrate it, Seifer betrays Quistis but putting her to sleep and enters the Garden alone…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                              Chapter 25: The Sorceress's Knight **

* * *

* * *

_"Listen Quistis… I… I just… I just want you to know…"_

            _His green eyes, looking at her as if they'd never looked at anything before… _

- _"Quisty… Quisty, wake up!"_

            _His strong arms, wrapping around her in a tight embrace, as if he'd never truly held anyone before._

- _"How do you remove a Sleep spell?"_

- _"Dunno… It usually wears off if you're hit in battle…"_

_            His lips, touching her own as if they'd never touched another pair before…  _

- _ "OK… So slap her around a bit… That should do it…"_

- _"YOU slap her around a bit!"_

- _"What? Are you **afraid** of her?! We need to wake her up and go after Seifer!"_

_"I'm sorry…"_

_            The smell of his masculine perfume as her face pressed against the crook of his neck… Sweat, perfume and his natural scent all mixed together…_

- _"Grrr… That rotten bastard! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!"_

- _"Will you both stop it?! We're losing time!"_

_            Her eyes shutting in dejection. Why was he sorry? It had all felt so…desperate, emotional… Her lips trembled as she spoke a phrase whose answer she dreaded… _

_"For kissing me?"___

_"No… For this."_

- _"I'm tellin' Zell to slap her babe, but he won't do it!"_

_            And then… Betrayal…_

- _"Clearly, you've never been on the other end of Quistis's whip… Do you have any idea how pissed she'll be if she wakes up and I'm slappin' her?!"_

_            He left her… Left her alone… He'd used them all to get to **her**… _

- _"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF HYNE!"_

            Her eyelids fluttered open. The bright light stung her eyes and her vision blurred for a second. She blinked and opened her eyes half-way this time. Her peers were standing over her; Selphie, Irvine and Zell. They hadn't even noticed she had woken up.

- _"I'm up…"_ Quistis mumbled wearily.__

            All three heads turned to her side immediately.

- _"Quisty!" _Selphie exclaimed _"Are you alright?!"_

- _"Did that bastard hit you?" _Zell asked, his eyes narrowing to slits.__

- _"Calm down…" _Quistis muttered, resting her bodyweight onto her elbows.__

- _"What happened? Why did Seifer leave?" _Irvine asked.__

- _"I… I don't know… He just told me her was sorry, cast a Sleep spell on me and left…" _Quistis replied, shaking her head.__

- _"What's going on here?" _

            Quistis and her three peers turned around, only to find Squall and Rinoa standing above them.

- _"Rinoa!" _Selphie squealed _"You're OK!" _she added, jumping up and wrapping her arms around her friend's neck.

- _"Oh, thank Hyne…" _Quistis said, sighing in relief.

- _"I'm fine,"_ Rinoa said, as she freed herself from Selphie's grasp _"But what happened here? Why are you all gathered outside?"_

- _"Where's Seifer?" _asked Squall.

            Awkward silence spread all over the small group. Squall and Rinoa turned to look at each other questioningly.

- _"He's not…" _Squall began.

- _"Dead?" _Rinoa finished for him, voice barely audible, face pale.

- _"No, no…" _Quistis replied, shaking her head in negation _"He just… left."_

- _"What do you mean 'left'?" _Squall asked, narrowing his blue eyes.

- _"He left." _Quistis repeated, shrugging _"He told me he was sorry, cast a Sleep spell on me and ran inside." _

            Squall pursed his lips, sighing. His normally calm facial features turned into a vicious frown.

- _"That damned fool…" _he mumbled, storming inside the building before them.

            The young Commander's instincts shifted into alert the moment he walked inside the Main Hall. Galbadia Garden was completely empty; all their forces were gathered outside, in the heated battlefield. He approached the Directory only feet away from him and scanned it.

            There was only one place the Sorceress could be…

* * *

            Squall rushed inside the Auditorium, closely followed by his comrades. The six young fighters stopped on their tracks, looking around the great chamber bewildered. Suddenly, the atmosphere inside the Auditorium became very heavy. As if arranged, all six of them backtracked, forming a circle, each covering their backs, pulling out their weapons. An eerie silence spread all over them. It was so quiet, that one could almost hear the picked up heartbeat of six hearts, beating together. One could almost hear the trickles of sweat, running down everyone's faces and spines. And then, it happened.

            The glass roof above them shattered into pieces, making everyone move aside. Out of the great crack on the roof, a slender figure clad in black descended into graceful flips, still in mid-air; Sorceress Edea. The woman twirled with admirable elegance, then, like a feline animal, landed onto her two feet onto the podium, only feet above them. She opened her amber eyes and looked at each and every one of them, now lined in front of her.

- _"So… The time has come." _she spoke, in her rich, deep, feminine voice _"You're the legendary SeeDs destined to face me?"_

            Her lips upturned and she threw her head back, erupting into booming laughter. She brought her head back forward, becoming serious all of a sudden.

- _"I must say that I'm impressed." _she said, in a mocking tone _"…An impressive nuisance. Your life ends here, SeeDs. Let me introduce… my Knight."_

            The sound of footsteps could be heard. Someone was approaching from behind the podium upon which Edea was standing. A tall figure appeared behind the shadows, slowly becoming more and more visible as he loomed forward.

            Six pairs of eyes widened.

            Quistis felt her breath dying within her throat and her heart stopped beating for a split second.

- _"No…" _she whispered breathlessly.

            Seifer tightened his grip on Hyperion and leered down to all six of his peers, a superior expression spread on his face. His eyes were cold, dark, distant and spoke of determination. His stature, rigid, firm. His weapon at the ready, shining in its silver glory among the shadows that spread like back veils around him.

            The Sorceress's Knight…

- _"You'll have to get past me first." _he spoke in a gruff voice.

            Squall was the first to snap out of his trance and approached Seifer.

- _"What the hell do you think you're doing?" _he hissed at him.

- _"Fulfilling my duty as a Knight…" _Seifer replied, still as calm and serious as ever.

- _"She's our enemy!" _Squall spat back _"How could you betray everyone like that?!"_

- _"The only person who can't be a considered a traitor in this room is me." _Seifer replied, narrowing his green eyes _"I'm only doing what all of us should be. Protecting the woman who raised us as if we were her own."_

- _"Do you think she even **remembers **you?" _Squall asked him sarcastically _"Or any of us?"_

            He knew the answer long before Seifer was able to phrase it. The coldness and hurt in his eyes betrayed it.

- _"She **will**." _Seifer replied eventually.

- _"She **won't**." _Squall persevered_ "And you **know **it. End this now Seifer. You're one of us."_

            Seifer turned away and looked at everyone else standing behind Squall. His eyes traveled onto each and every one of them, meeting with either unspoken pleas or anger. But he didn't care…

            The only thing he **did** care about, was a pair of blue eyes, looking back at him with disdain only for a split second, before turning away.

            **_'It's too late for me now Squall…' _**he mentally replied to his former peer **_'Even if I _do _come back now… I've lost her.'_**

****

****

_                        Enough play. Show them what you're capable of…_

            Edea's voice echoed inside his head. He nodded firmly.

                        _As you wish, my lady._

            The Sorceress's lip upturned into a sardonic smile.

                        _Now destroy them… Start with him…_

            Seifer raised Hyperion at shoulder height and brought the tip in front of Squall's throat.

- _"On your guard, Leonhart." _he ordered.

            Years and years of endless rivalry immediately ceased to remain stagnant in childish levels and reached their climax at that moment. It was time to settle old scores once and for all…

            Squall took a couple of steps back and drew out his own gunblade.  There was an unspoken agreement among everyone to step aside. This was between the Commander and the newly appointed Knight.

            Squall watched his opponent attempt a smirk and raise his hand, beckoning him to come forward. His pose was grimly familiar, a reminder of one fateful dawn out in the rocky slopes of Balamb, when they were both scarred for life by each other's hand. Only this time, the blond's eyes didn't hold the same spark and innate arrogance, but carried themselves with fear and dejection.

- _"Come at me, then." _Seifer spoke again.

            Squall took a deep breath and lunge towards the blond Knight. He twisted his Twin Lance in one arm and brought it down to Seifer's face. The blond countered Squall's attack with ease and the first set of sparks flew as the two weapons collided. The two young men remained solid in position, eyes locking, both not moving a single inch. What seemed like countless moments passed before Squall felt a shooting pain in his stomach, a result of Seifer's knee making hard contact with the brown-haired boy's abdomen. Squall stepped backwards, holding his aching area with one hand in comfort. Seifer stood up straight, bringing his Hyperion once again up to shoulder length, waiting for Squall's next move.

            **_'So… He wants to play it rough?' _**Squall thought, staring at his enemy's expressionless gaze **_'I'll show him rough.'_**

****

****

- _"Blizzara!" _Squall yelled, extending his left arm towards Seifer.

            A bluish-white aura escaped his fingers, rushing its way towards the blond. Seifer moved his Hyperion forward just in time, partly shielding himself from the Ice spell which was destroyed before it was even formed. Seifer felt his cheeks and neck chill rapidly and form tiny crystals on his tanned complexion, which soon began to melt into trickles of water from body heat. The cold rivulets of water traveled down Seifer's skin, as the blond recovered from the diversion Squall had attempted to create, in order to gain time.

            And he had succeeded.

            Within the blink of an eye after the spell was cast, the young Commander was already inches away from his lifelong rival, engaging into a new attack with his gunblade. Seifer reacted barely in time, but the intensity of the blow threw him backwards and onto the floor, back-first. The tall blond winced and groaned once he made hard contact with the marble beneath him, but lost no time as he saw his opponent approaching once again. Still lying down, he swung his legs onto the air, aiding his torso up. His tall frame would have made such a move quite a struggle, if it weren't for the almost fifteen years of practice that adorned his record in Garden. While in mid-air, he pushed his body forward, ending up standing on his feet in a cat-like move.

            There was no time to plan another move however, as Squall was already before him, bringing down his gunblade with tremendous speed. Seifer took a step back, swinging his gunblade forward as well. This time, Hyperion won the fight, by ramming onto Twin Lance, bringing it down to scratch the floor furiously. Squall and Seifer remained on their feet, bent over, their weapons plunged into a minor hole on the floor. They took a moment to look at each other, breathing heavily, the first traces of sweat making their way down their bodies.

            The Shumi monks of Northern Trabia say that you only truly know someone if you fight them.

            And these two men knew each other too well. Well enough to anticipate every move the other made and counter it skillfully. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses; Seifer had the advantage of one more year on his shoulders, a year of SeeD training to be exact, a taller, more built frame, a biting demeanor and a heart full of fury. Squall on the other hand, had a shorter frame that allowed him to move much quicker, a patient spirit and a calm, tranquil mind. A mind which was now screaming back at him to never leave his guard, as Seifer was prone to resort to less 'honorable' methods if stuck in a tough spot.

            Too late.

            The heel of the Knight's boot found its way onto Squall's chin with admirable velocity, sending the latter a fair amount of steps backwards and earning him an aching chin to accompany the now dull pain in his stomach. He only had less than a second to regroup and plan his next move after Seifer's booming voice filled the Auditorium.

- _"Thundaga!"_

            A sliver of yellowish light slithered through the air and onto the floor beneath Squall's boots. The brown-haired Commander followed his instinct and jumped to his side, right before the space under him cracked upon and a surge of electricity rose up towards the ceiling furiously. Still in mid-air, he lowered his palms onto the floor, rolling down and rising up to his feet with ease. With a primal cry, Seifer lunged forward, slashing the air between them with Hyperion.

            Every move happened in thunderous speed, in fluid, liquid motion. A grin crept upon Edea's features as she watched her two puppets engage into a dance-like battle.

            The dance of war and destruction.

            In a moment of heat and madness, Squall's clear state of mind was clouded from his battle intuitions. He felt the adrenaline fill him to the core and sensed his arms growing stronger, faster. He wasn't taken by surprise to see Seifer's already fiery spirit go literally berserk as well. He almost didn't think any more; just drove his gunblade forward again and again, as if he was born to do nothing else in life.

            Without realizing it, Squall's fist clenched and made hard contact with Seifer's jaw, momentarily ceasing the swordfight. The blond muttered a curse and stepped back. Wiping his bleeding lip with his free palm, he spat to the ground, ridding his mouth from the blood that had concentrated inside. He leered at his opponent, seeing upon him a reflection of his own current state. Damp hair now clung on both flushed faces, their bodies had become slick and were glistening with sweat and their breathing was uneven.

            Narrowing his eyes, Seifer plunged the ever-so-sharp edge of Hyperion down to the marble floor, piercing it without the smallest amount of effort. Freeing both his hands, he removed his long trench coat, tossing it haphazardly to the side. Squall followed his lead, discarding his leather jacket, wiping his moist face dry with his white, cotton T-shirt. He grasped Twin Lance with both gloved hands firmly once again, sprinting forward.

            More sparks flew at the clash of the weapons, as the two men engaged into a vicious game of swordplay once more. As the moves they performed grew more ferocious with each passing moment, it became clear that this battle wasn't going to be judged by their skills with a gunblade, but by their knowledge of combined combat and magic tactics.

            Deciding to use Seifer's upper bareness to his advantage, Squall pushed his opponent backwards with all the might he could muster and brought one free arm forward.

- _"Fira!"_

            A loud cry of pain echoed among the walls as Seifer fell to the floor with a set of nasty burns on his forearms. Hyperion hadn't been able to shield him fully from the spell. As he hit the ground, the blond felt the anger seep deeper within him. Opening up his emerald eyes into a murderous expression, he used his position to tackle his rival as he dashed towards him. Squall tripped, falling with his turn onto the floor. Seifer lost no time in rising up to his feet and, grabbing Hyperion's handle with both gloved hands, he brought it down to the ground.

            Squall rolled away only seconds before the marble next to him shattered and aided himself up as Seifer unstuck his gunblade from the floor. The Commander swiftly swung Twin Lance low, aiming for Seifer's legs, but the blond was fast enough to react. Jumping up, it was his turn to swing Hyperion across the air before him. Squall ducked, avoiding the blow. He held his weapon tightly and raised it quickly behind his head, as Seifer's gunblade aimed for his back this time.

            More sparks, and another swing from the blond, who spun almost in a three-sixty in position, bringing Hyperion to Squall's chest this time. The latter countered the attack once more, by bringing his gunblade in front of his chest, but Seifer's strong and rapid combo made him lose his balance once again. Moving one free arm backwards, Squall prevented his fall, performing a backward flip which brought him back onto his feet. He ducked once again, avoiding yet another slash of Hyperion.

            The moment he rose up again though, he met with a strong kick from Seifer, which landed right onto the side of his head. The world momentarily spun around him and without realizing it, he was kneeling on the floor.

            Seifer twisted back in place on one leg, then brought down the other one. He'd finally brought his opponent in a position of weakness. He could almost taste the flavor of victory as he brought Hyperion down one last time.

            Time stopped for Squall as he found himself getting engaged into another one of Fate's cruel games. A scene of déjà-vu replayed before his eyes, when Hyperion raced down at him once more. Only he was certain that this time the blood to be shed would not belong to a minor scar…

- _"ENOUGH!"_

* * *

            Seifer turned around behind him as he felt Hyperion being held back tightly. Squall followed his lead, releasing the breath he didn't know he had been holding, looking at the slender figure standing behind them both.

            A tight, stiff, yellowish 'rope' was tied around the blade of Hyperion, belonging to none other than Quistis Trepe.

            The blonde was holding her Save the Queen firmly, her face livid, enraged. She was tired of watching two men who held a special place in her heart struggle to spill each other's blood. She was tired of waiting patiently for tragedy to take place before her very eyes.

            She was going to end this.

            Right then and there…

            With a swing, Quistis yanked Hyperion away from Seifer's grasp and closed the distance between them in two long strides. Digging one hand into the waistband of his jeans, she drew out what appeared to be a long and extremely sharp blade. Thrusting it into his grasp, she brought the sharp edge of it right next to her neck and looked at him straight in the eyes. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were glistening with tears threatening to spill any minute now.

- _"Do it."_ she hissed at him.

Seifer stared at her, bewildered.

- _"You wanted to kill us all? Then be my guest, Almasy. **Do** it. Start with __me.__"_ she repeated firmly, never breaking eye contact with him.

            Seifer's breathing became uneven. He swallowed with difficulty and his grip on the blade became shakier and unsteady.

- _"Come on, then."_ Quistis said in a daring manner _"Do it. Do it, because I can't even stand **looking** at you anymore, knowing that you'd sell your soul and betray us all for a dream so cheap."_ she spat at him venomously.

            Seifer's jade eyes widened at those words. And for some reason, they just hurt **so** much coming from her. She'd once said she believed in him. But now she came and told him right to his face that he was disgusting her. And then it hit him; was he disgusting himself?

- _"What are you waiting for?"_ she hissed at him.

_                        She's toying with your mind… Kill her…_

- _"Seifer, stop this madness!"_

- _"Let her go!"_

- _"Quistis, don't tempt him!"_

_                                    **Kill** her…_

- _"Go on, Almasy. What are you afraid of? Kill me!"_

Seifer looked around him, bemused. Everything around him was going crazy; everyone else was yelling either to him to stop and snap out of it or to Quistis to stop provoking him, Quistis was shouting at him, daring him, Edea was whispering inside his head, urging him to kill Quistis…

            That wasn't what he dreamed this would be like. Being a Sorceress' Knight was supposed to be about him, protecting someone in need; not following a deranged woman, who wanted to exterminate the people she once considered children and gain power over the world by enslaving humanity. But no… That was what everyone else thought about Edea. He knew better though; she was their Matron, the woman who came closest to what any of them could call a 'mother'. He knew her better than them and he **had** to protect her… He had to protect his childhood memories… But… In order to do that… In order to protect his past, he had to destroy his present… His future…

- _"DO it!"_ Quistis shouted at him, tears now streaming down her eyes. 

                                    _She'll only be getting into your way… You don't have to sense any confusion anymore… **Destroy** her!_

- _"Almasy, don't do it!"_

- _"Seifer! I **know** you're not like that!"_

- _"Let her go!"_

- _"Quistis, step back!"_

- _"Don't let that witch toy with your mind!"_

_                                                They're **all** just trying to hold you back! Kill her!_

- _"DO IT!" _Quistis yelled, breathing though clenched teeth.

_                                    KILL HER!_

- _"Seifer, **don't**!"_

- _"DO IT, DAMN YOU!!"_ Quistis yelled.

            Seifer shut his eyes and covered his ears with both palms, letting out a scream. He couldn't take this anymore; he was going insane. Quistis pulled the blade back on her throat.

- _"Quisty, what are you doing?!"_

- _"NO!"_

_                                                **KILL HER, YOU USELESS FOOL!!!**_

- _"**DO IT**!! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE KNOWING YOU HAVE FALLEN SO **FUCKING **LOW!"_ Quistis screamed at him, now wailing in tears.

            He was left with no choice.

            It all happened within a heartbeat. Seifer opened his eyes and pulled the knife out in a battle position, narrowing his eyes at her. Quistis looked at him with an expression of mixed terror and relief. She closed her eyes, brushing her hair aside with one hand, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Squall's eyes widened.

- _"QUISTIS!"_ he shouted, making a move to run towards them.

            Seifer's blade swung to the side. The blond tightened the grip of his gloved hand on the handle and brought the blade back in, speeding it down to Quistis' bare neck. The blonde took a deep, but wavering breath.

- _"Remember me."_ Seifer whispered to her.

            Quistis opened her eyes suddenly. The knife slashed the air, speeding dangerously down to her neck. Less than half an inch away, Seifer brought his other hand forward, grasping the handle with both palms now. Within the blink of an eye, he turned it around.

- _"**NO!**" _Quistis screamed, trying to push the gunblade away.

            She wasn't able to move it more than an inch.

**                                                                                                                                                   SLASH!**

            Blue and green eyes widened at the same time.

- _"Ahh…"_ came Seifer's low, sharp, hardly audible voice.

            His eyes closed half way down and he felt his knees weak. He sank down, still gripping tight onto the blade, his knuckles white.

- _"No…"_ Quistis whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

            The room had gone awfully silent… Seifer fell down to the floor, back first, feeling the cold blade of the sword move within his insides again. He hissed and winced.

- _"Oh Hyne, Seifer…" _Quistis whimpered, falling down on her knees by his side.

            The blond's vest was stained with a great crimson spot on the left side. He was holding the area where the knife had penetrated him with both hands, eyes half open, breath shallow. His vision was getting hazy… He felt someone drag him for a while, then settle him down. He sensed one hand on his forehead. Another one on his chest.

- _"Seifer? Seifer, stay with me!" _

                                    _Pitiful…__ Worthless excuse of a Knight…_

- _"Come on… Cura!"_

Seifer gasped as a surge of pure energy surrounded him, making his blood race in his veins for a second and his back arch, then fall back down.

                                                _I should have known you'd never be of any use to me…_

- _"Oh Hyne… Selphie! I don't have any more Curas! Help me here!" _

_                                                                        I'm no longer willing to pursue you. Traitor… You and this woman have stalled me enough… _

_                                                                        And I know someone else who will help me fulfill my plans… Whether she likes it, or not…_

- _"No, don't pull the blade out! It'll maximize the blood loss! Give me an Elixir, quick!"_

He felt his lips being pressed open. He swallowed with difficulty the fluid within the bottle that was forced against his half-open mouth. His eyes rolled back and his veins went on fire the moment the fluid reached his stomach. He let out a weary sigh.

- _"Seifer, don't give up! Stay with me, Seifer! Stay with me!"_

            He blinked. A hand ran through his hair. Within his blurry vision, he could make out a waterfall of the most beautiful honey blond, and a pair of startlingly cerulean orbs.

- _"Quisty…"_ Seifer barely spoke, hoarsely.

- _"Seifer?! Can you hear me?" _Quistis spoke desperately.

- _"I… I… I'm glad…"_ he muttered.

- _"Hyne, Seifer… Shh… Don't speak. Don't strain yourself…"_ she said softly, caressing his forehead.

- _"What is he saying? I can't hear him!"_

- _"SHH!"_

- _"I'm glad… that… you'll… you'll be…" _he said, hissing _"I'm glad that…you'll be the… the last thing… last thing… I see…"_

- _"**SEIFER, NOOOOO!"**_

****

****

* * *

**A/N:** The original idea was that Seifer would plunge Hyperion into his stomach, but Chris was observant enough to tell me that it would be quite impossible for him to turn a three-foot sword around in the close space between him and Quistis. So he suggested a knife, which I later on had Seifer carry from the previous chapter. So yet more credit for him

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_I think I've already said this but…_

_Hehe… Yeah, right! :-p_


	27. Chapter 26: Arise from your sleep, child...

**A/N:** Suppresses immensely high-pitched squeal This story has reached more than 300 reviews… Wow… I honestly can't thank you guys enough for the support. You're all awesome!

On a different note, title for the chapter is borrowed from the fantastic opera piece 'Liberi Fatali'.

Enjoy!****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After his mysterious disappearing, Seifer is brought to face his companions as the Sorceress's Knight. Having to choose between his future and his past, Seifer is torn and makes a decision that might have proved to be fatal…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                               Chapter 26: Arise from your sleep, children of Fate**

* * *

* * *

                                                                                                                                                _It's been a long time since we've spoken…_

_                                    I didn't think you wanted me to interrupt…_

_                                                                                                                                                No, you did well…_

_                                                            So… Anything you wish to say?_

_                                                                                                                                                            I… I don't… I honestly don't know…_

_                                    Take your time…_

_                                                                                                            I… I just… So much has happened…Seifer's present… The kiss… The battle… It'll take_

_                                                                                                             a while for it all to sink in…_

_                                                            I understand…_

_                                                                                                                        But…_

_                                    But, what, Quisty?_

_                                                                                                            I still don't know why he did it, Ellone… Why he felt he had to protect her and _

_                                                                                                            betray us all in the process… I mean… I understand he meant well, but… I can't _

_                                                                                                            believe he didn't tell me… I'd understand… After all… After all we've been through together…_

_Have you forgotten? He **did** tell you…_

_                                                                                                Sigh I know, I know… But he didn't let me believe how much he truly meant it… _

_                                                                                                I thought… I thought it would go away in time… I thought he'd see the truth… _

_                                                                                                He tried to save her and look what it did to him… He was torn apart; both mentally_

_                                                                                                and physically… And… I know I wasn't truly there, but… It ached to see him suffer like that…_

* * *

_A tall figure walked stealthily among the empty corridors, searching._

_The light steps he took, echoed among the walls until the sound vanished into thin air. _

**_                                                                                                                                 - "Wake up… Please, wake up…"_**

_His green eyes looked around in desperation._

**_            'Time… No time… There's no time…'_**

****

_They could be there any moment now… He shouldn't be found at any cost._

_He couldn't look at them straight in the eye from now on. Especially **her**…_

_                                                                                                                     - **"Don't leave me alone… Please wake up…"**_

_It was too late to turn back. _

_"Looking for someone?"_

_He turned around._

_The source of that hauntingly familiar voice had appeared out of nowhere, creeping out of the shadows almost snake-like._

_The mephistophelian grin on her face… Her long, gloved claws touching his skin… An intoxicating sensation taking over him…_

**_                                                                                 - "Please, Hyne… I won't ask for anything else ever again… Just wake him up… Please…"_**

_He kneeled down to her._

_"Your wish is now my command, my lady."_

_"Rise." she commanded._

_Timidly, he rose up to full height, easily towering her, but his head hung down._

_"Rise and follow me into a fantasy beyond your imagination… my Knight."_

**_                                                                                                                                       - "Sob Wake him up…"_**

* * *

            With a sharp intake of breath, Seifer opened his eyes.

            Even the dim light of the lamp that stood by, made his eyes sting like mad. He quickly shut them again, rubbing them in comfort. He made an attempt to open them again, blinking as he did so. The blurry image of his surroundings began to get much clearer with each passing second, as he stared around him bewildered. He tried to sit up on what was apparently a bed he was lying onto, but found that to be extremely hard. The moment he tried to, a shooting pain came right from his abdomen, causing him to hiss and fall down on his back again.

            Grasping the sheets beneath him as he winced, he realized that a minor, dull ache was coming from his right arm. His wrist to be more exact. It was the first time he realized he was 'hooked' into an IV.

            His clothes were nowhere to be seen, his bare chest was only covered by a fair amount of bandages at the area of his lower torso and only a few were covering his right arm and shoulder. In fact, the only clothing on him aside from the bandages was a pair of underwear. Shivering, he pulled the light blue blanket that had been covering him back up to his chin.

            But of course…

            The infirmary… Where else could he be?

            He closed his eyes for a second, urging his mind to backtrack a few steps and remember the reason he was in there.

            The fight with G-Garden… Squall left to help Rinoa and he was left to lead the attack… Was Rinoa OK? Had Squall made it in time, or had she –Seifer shuddered- fallen of the cliff she'd been hanging from? What about the final battle? Had they won? Had the Sorceress been taken down? Edea… He'd tried to protect her and came face to face with everyone… But only Squall fought him. And he'd won. Not in the most honorable of manners, but Squall didn't fight completely 'clean' either… After that Fire spell he'd cast on him, he'd lost it and gone berserk. He almost didn't remember how it came that Squall was on his knees and he was leering above him.

            Would he have really killed him? Would he, if it weren't for…

            Quistis.

            Quistis…

            Quistis…?

            What had happened to Quistis?

            She was the last face he'd seen before passing away. He had talked to her… But he wasn't sure she'd listened. He remembered feeling the hot, salty tears that had slid from her eyelids to his face as she tried to keep him alive…

            His forehead ached.

            Where could she-?

            It was right then that he realized that it wasn't his own breathing sound he could hear right now. Opening his eyes once again, he turned to his side, only to notice for the first time that in a chair a bit behind him sat Quistis.

            Asleep.

            Clad in her battle gear, a jacket thrown over her shoulders haphazardly, hair loose and dirty, bare arms slightly injured, face drained from the last droplet of color and 'stained' from still humid trickles down her cheeks.

            And she still took his breath away.

            Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't expect to find her there. Perhaps it was the fact he thought he'd never see **anything** ever again period, not just her. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

            **_'You think too much, Almasy…' _**Seifer thought to himself, shaking his head in disbelief **_'Just shut up and enjoy the view…'_**__

_                        Glad to see you've recovered, master._

_            **'Now there's a voice I haven't heard in ages…' **_Seifer spoke back inwardly, feeling surprised that the usually annoying presence of Ifrit now felt unnaturally soothing. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd have missed Ifrit…

_                        Likewise, master._

_            **'Damn you…' **_Seifer chuckled **_'You heard that, too?'_**

_                        Of course I did._

Seifer sighed. Of course he had. He knew about every dirty little detail that passed through the cerebral cortex of the unfathomable being that was Seifer Almasy.

                        _Quite a complex way to put it, but yes, I do._

            Seifer's gaze fell back on Quistis again **_'She alright?'_**

****

****

_                        She's fine, master. Just exhausted._

            **_'How long has she been sitting there?' _**

_                        If I remember correctly, tomorrow it'll be seven days._

_            **'Excuse me?'**_

****

****

_                        Seven days._

_            **'I've been out for a week?!'**_

****

****

_                        That is correct._

_            **'And she's been here the entire time?'**_

****

****

****

_                        Affirmative._

            It took Seifer's sometimes slow-processing mind a bit of time to comprehend what he'd just heard. He ran a hand through his hair **_'So, she hasn't even-?'_**

****

- _"Don't wake her up."_

            The blond turned around, only to find Dr. Kadowaki, smiling back at him, leaning against the doorframe. Seifer grinned.

- _"Wasn't gonna…" _he replied in a whisper.

- _"Glad to see we have you back." _she replied, slowly walking towards his bed _"How are you feeling?"_

- _"Been better…" _Seifer replied with a quiet chuckle _"It hurts when I stretch. But only then."_

- _"Good, good…" _said the doctor _"Get some sleep now. You'll get a bollocking about your stupidity tomorrow, OK?"_

            Seifer stared at her awkwardly, as she disappeared behind the door again, with a smirk on her face.

            Sighing, the blond buried his head in his pillow. He craned his head up to look at Quistis again. He turned his glance back straight again and slowly, sat up on the bed. Slowly and very carefully, he twisted on the spot, until his bare feet touched the cold marble floor. Hissing both from pain and coldness, he made an attempt to get up.

            A failed one.

            Falling back onto the bed, he realized that he hadn't used his legs in a week, so this could take a while…

            He grasped the railing of the bed, easing himself up. With his free arm, he peeled the blanket away from the bed, leaving it with only a white sheet aside from the one covering the mattress. Steadying himself straight, he covered Quistis up with it, making sure no cold air would be sneaking underneath it.

            Quistis felt the warm covers envelope her body and shifted, never waking up though.

- _"Seif… No… Don't… don't leave… don't leave me… alone…"_

            Her muttering died down as she tucked her chin under the blanket. Seifer ginned somewhat poignantly and leaned down to her. He brushed aside a lock of unwashed hair, wiped her cheeks dry tenderly, resting his lips on her temple **_'I should be hating you for turning me into a sissy, but I just can't seem to hold anything against you, can I?' _**he thought, looking at her as if she could peer into his thoughts and listen to him.

            He made his way back to his bed, pulling the sheet up to his shoulders. He took one last look at her, before closing his eyes.

- _"Good night, Quisty…"_ he whispered.__

            As exhaustion and slight drowsiness –apparently from the drugs- overtook him, he could heave sworn he heard her whisper back 'Good night' to him…

* * *

_                                                                                                                                          The next morning…_

- _"Oh, that looks cute…"_

- _"I bet you'd look better in it…"_

- _"Awww… Irvy…"_

            Seifer rolled around in bed and slowly slid his eyes open. He came face to face with a sight that wasn't exactly his idea of a good first morning view. Selphie was sitting on Irvine's lap, arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him deeply. Irvine was holding her waist with one hand, while the other one held what looked like a magazine.

            The blond rolled his eyes and yawned.

- _"Hyne, get a room…"_

            Selphie immediately 'unglued' herself from Irvine and turned her gaze onto Seifer.

- _"Hey! You're up!" _she squealed, face illuminated with glee.

- _"Welcome back…" _Irvine said with a grin.

- _"Thanks…" _mumbled Seifer.

            He noticed that he was covered up with the blanket he'd placed upon Quistis's sleeping form the previous night. He also noticed that the chair she's been sitting on was now occupied by Selphie and Irvine, while she was nowhere in sight.

- _"How are you feelin'?" _Irvine asked him.

- _"I'm OK I suppose…"_ he said, shrugging feebly _"Listen, I, uhh…"_

- _"No need to explain." _Selphie interrupted him, shaking her head _"We all understand."_

- _"You do?" _Seifer asked, creasing his forehead; that was the last thing he'd expected to hear.

- _"Yeah, man…" _Irvine said _"I went through the exact same thing when I was ordered to shoot Edea. Freaked out big time…"_

- _"But still, I…" _Seifer went on _"I tried to…"_

- _"Would you have **really** done it?" _Selphie asked.

- _"Honestly? Dunno…" _Seifer replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

- _"All that matters is that you're OK now." _Irvine said _"You gave us quite a fright, you know…"_

            Seifer looked at both of them incredulously. He had no idea he'd be missed had he…

- _"It's a good thing Quisty pushed the blade away, even for a tiny bit." _Selphie said, matter-of-factly.

- _"Yeah, Dr. Kadowaki said you're damn lucky it didn't hit any vital organs." _Irvine added.

- _"Ooh, yeah… Lucky me…" _Seifer mumbled sarcastically.

- _"Don't tell me you're not happy you're **alive**?" _Irvine asked him, arching both eyebrows.

- _"Maybe I should have just died and get it over with…" _Seifer replied sighing.

            He closed his eyes and rested his head against the railing of the bed.

- _"Quit saying stupid things!" _Selphie protested _"Do you have the slightest idea how much everyone was worried about you?!"_

- _"I really can't tell you how much I appreciate you two being worried about me, but I think that's as far as it goes…" _Seifer replied, looking at them meaningfully. Irvine rolled his eyes.

- _"Hyne, will you stop being a damned whiny bitch?!" _Selphie said exasperated.

            Seifer's eyes went wide saucer-like at the girl's outburst **_'So much for the sweet and innocent façade…' _**he thought.

- _"Everyone, and I mean **everyone**," _Selphie went on _"Was really upset! The six of us, the doctor, the headmaster, the students… Even Xu came by to visit you!"_

- _"Really?" _Seifer asked, screwing his facial features into an utterly surprised grin.

- _"It took some great deal of guts to pull what you did…" _Irvine said _"You might have thought of it as betrayal and, quite frankly, almost everyone else did at as well at first, but once we all spoke to them…"_

- _"Spoke to them?" _Seifer asked.

- _"There was this big rally…" _began Selphie _"People protested because they thought you'd sided with Matron, but when we explained your, **our**, background history with her, everyone understood."_

- _"I see…" _Seifer said, nodding _"So… everyone's OK?"_

- _"Zell's still a bit sour about it, but he understands, too."_ replied Irvine _"Well, you know how Zell feels about you. You're not exactly crazy about him either…"_

- _"True…" _Seifer replied, chuckling _"Squall not mad at me for tryin' to take his head off?"_

- _"Wouldn't be the first time, anyway…"_ Selphie said, grinning.

- _"Heh, right…" _Seifer said, grinning. His expression shifted into a much more awkward one, as he lowered his head and spoke again _"Umm… How's Quistis?"_

            Selphie grinned broadly at his discomfort. She could have sworn his cheeks looked quite flushed as well.

- _"She's OK. Tired." _she replied.

- _"From taking care of you…"_ Irvine added, meaningfully.

- _"So umm…" _Seifer said, raking a hand through his hair _"She around?"_

- _"She left early in the morning. We sent her back to her dorm to get some rest." _Selphie said.

- _"More like forced her." _Irvine added, matter-of-factly.

- _"Sides, she **had** to take a shower and peel off those clothes… She's been wearin' them for almost a week!" _exclaimed Selphie _"Now don't get me wrong; the girl's always fresh like a meadow, but she's been **reeking** the past days…" _

            Seifer chuckled. He felt really bad that he'd put Quistis under so much trouble. Breathing deeply, he opened his mouth to ask something else. He dreaded the answer, but he **had** to know…

- _"What about… Matron?" _he asked _"Did you… Did you guys…?"_

- _"No." _Irvine replied, grinning. Seifer looked at him in disbelief.

- _"She's back, Seifer." _Selphie said, smiling broadly _"Our Matron's back."_

- _"What?" _the blond asked somewhat disdainfully, afraid to get his hopes up.

- _"She's OK now. Back to her old self." _added Irvine _"She snapped out of it."_

- _"Snapped out of what?" _he asked.

- _"Ooh, that's a long story…" _Selphie said _"You make sure you recover fully and we'll fill you in. Just keep in mind that she's not evil anymore."_

- _"Alright…" _Seifer said, nodding _"So… Everything's good now?" _he asked, grinning.

            Selphie and Irvine looked at each other. The copper-haired girl bit her lips awkwardly.

- _"What?"_ Seifer asked.

- _"Well…" _Selphie began.

- _"Matron's OK, but…" _Irvine added.

- _"Everything else is pretty much messed up." _Selphie finished for him.

- _"Meaning…?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.

            The couple looked at one another again.

- _"Blunt or sugar-coated version?" _Selphie asked. Seifer sighed.

- _"Just hit me with it…"_

- _"Alright…" _Irvine said, taking a deep breath _"After what happened to you, some of us were forced to fight Edea while Quistis and Zell carried you back to Garden. Evidently, we won and Edea went back to her old self."_

            Seifer sat up on the bed, crossing his arms **_'Typical… I faint like a pussy and Commander Puberty saves the day…'_**

- _"Anyway… After the fight," _Irvine went on _"Something… 'happened' to Rinoa."_

- _"What?" _Seifer asked, creasing his forehead _"She didn't get herself in trouble again, did she?"_

- _"It's more like… Trouble got **her**…" _Selphie replied.

- _"She's… she's in a coma…" _Irvine uttered _"We don't know what's wrong with her and Matron doesn't either."_

            The blond stared at them, bewildered. Why would something happen to Rinoa all of a sudden?

- _"Squall's a wreck…"_ Selphie said _"He can't get over what happened to her, he's been swamped with work…"_

- _"We tried to help him with his office work at the very least, to take a bit of the burden off his shoulders, but he won't let us." _Irvine added _"Our priority is to find Ellone right now, but we're trying to work something out about Rinoa as well…" _

- _"Ellone?" _Seifer asked, frowning _"What does she have to do with anything?" _

- _"Oy…" _Selphie sighed _"This could take a while… Sweetie, why don't you go get us some coffee or something, while I tell Seifer the whole story?"_

- _"OK…" _Irvine said, as Selphie got off his lap _"How do you drink your coffee?" _he addressed Seifer.

- _"Black. Tiny bit of milk." _he replied laconically _"And…" _he added, as Irvine approached the threshold _"Pack of cigarettes wouldn't be too bad…" _he said, rubbing the back of his hair.

            Irvine shook his head in disbelief.  

- _"I'll let the doc know you're awake." _he said, walking out of the room.

* * *

            Irvine walked inside the crowded Cafeteria, heading towards the surprisingly small queue behind the counter. While waiting for his order to get ready, he scanned the room in boredom. He spotted Quistis sitting alone on a table, poking the contents of her plate with a fork in boredom. Grabbing the plastic bag with his order, Irvine walked over to the table.

            The girl shifted her bloodshot blue gaze up to him and smiled, returning back to her breakfast.

- _"You alone?" _Irvine asked.

- _"Zell was here a while ago, but went up to the bridge to help Squall out." _Quistis replied.

- _"I thought we told you to get some rest…" _Irvine said, sitting across her, raising an eyebrow.

- _"I did… I just felt hungry. I'll go back after I'm done." _she replied.

- _"Glad to see you took a shower at any rate…" _Irvine commented, touching one of the fair damp locks that fell in front of her face. Quistis chuckled _"I'm betting your shower floor will need some serious scrubbin' to get all the dirt out now, eh?"_

            The blonde laughed even harder.

- _"Thanks. You make me laugh…" _she said, grinning.

- _"Cheer up, won't you?" _Irvine said _"He's awake you know…"_

            Quistis looked up at Irvine for a second eagerly, then looked back down.

- _"Oh…" _she muttered.

- _"Aren't you gonna come see him?" _he asked.

- _"Not… Not now…" _she said _"I just… I feel…"_

- _"He was only doing what his heart told him to." _Irvine interrupted her. Quistis didn't speak. She just kept poking her egg, which had now filled the plate with orange yolk _"He asked about you."_

- _"So…?" _Quistis asked, shrugging feebly.

- _"Oh, come on." _Irvine said, exasperated _"You know you want to see him."_

- _"Not that crazy really…" _she lied, looking down.

Irvine arched a sarcastic eyebrow and took her chin in his palm, making her look at him.

- _"Quistis, look at __me.__" _he said. The blonde did so _"Don't hold a grudge against him for something that's over now. I know where you stand, but frankly, you'll be really stupid to push away what you feel for him over something so trivial."_

- _"I don't feel anything for-"_

- _"Yeah, now **that's** convincing." _Irvine interrupted her, voice full of sarcasm. Quistis rolled her eyes _"Just go see him later on today.** Please**. He looked really sad when he woke up and didn't see you there."_

            Quistis sighed and looked up at him.

- _"OK, I will."_

- _"That's my girl."_ said Irvine, beaming at her _"I'm going now. You go get some rest."_

- _"Maybe I should… come over now." _Quistis suggested _"And get some rest later."_

            Irvine grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

- _"Just so you know…" _he said in mischievous manner _"The beds in the Infirmary ain't that steady, so restrain yourselves a tad, kay?"_

            Quistis pursed her lips and frowned, pushing Irvine away.

- _"Forget it." _she said, trying to leave.

            Irvine grabbed her wrist, chuckling.

- _"C'mon, I was only joking…" _he said _"Let's go._

            The blonde pouted and crossed her arms, following Irvine outside the Cafeteria.

* * *

 

            Dr. Kadowaki squeezed some white cream off the tube she was holding into her free palm. She proceeded in rubbing the cream onto an apparent burn wound on Seifer's shoulder. The blonde hissed and pulled away.

- _"What's wrong?"_ asked the doctor _"The cream isn't supposed to sting…"_

- _"The cream doesn't, but the fucking burn stings if you rub on it!"_ Seifer spat back.

- _"Stop being such a baby…"_ the doctor said, sighing.

- _"Do you think it's **pleasant** for me to be in the damned Infirmary every week?!" _Seifer said grumpily.

- _"Do you think it's **pleasant** for me to have you as a patient every week?" _the doctor retorted.

            Seifer narrowed his eyes at her and muttered an incoherent stream of curses under his breath.

- _"Need any help doc?" _Selphie asked, grinning.

- _"Don't you **dare **Messenger-girl!"_ Seifer warned, pointing a threatening finger at her.

            Dr. Kadowaki turned and looked at Selphie, smiling.

- _"Of course, Selphie."_ she replied.

            The copper-haired girl got up to her feet, walking towards Seifer's bed, who was giving her a murderous glare. She made her way behind his bed and with one swift move, got a hold of his hair, pulling his head backwards.

- _"ARGH! MOTHERF-!"_ Seifer began, making a move to grab Selphie behind him with his non-wounded arm.__

            Unfortunately for him, this was the exact reaction Selphie was hoping for. Grasping his wrist, she twisted his arm behind his back, rendering him helpless.

- _"YOU LITTLE **MINX**!" _Seifer roared, squirming _"JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU WON'T COME OUT ALIVE AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU! I'LL-"_

- _"Well played, Selphie." _Dr, Kadowaki said, grinning at Selphie, ignoring Seifer's shouts.__

- _"Thank you." _Selphie replied, performing a small curtsey.__

- _"I FUCKING HATE WOMEN! CONSPIRING BITCHES!" _Seifer went on _"WHO THE F-?"_

- _"Ah, shaddap…" _Selphie said, covering his mouth with her free palm as the doctor went on treating the burn on Seifer's shoulder.__

- _"MTHRFKNG **KNTS**! YL PMM!"_

* * *

            Quistis stepped inside the Infirmary, closely followed by Irvine. She looked around in curiosity, not seeing Dr. Kadowaki anywhere near. She turned her head abruptly to the side, however, as a flurry of muffled screams caught her attention from one of the rooms. She looked at Irvine with a questioning and bewildered expression.

- _"That's Seifer's room…"_ said Irvine.

- _"Good Hyne, what are they **doing **to him?!" _Quistis exclaimed, rushing over to the door.

            She twisted the handle, swinging the door wide open. The sight she came across made her arch both eyebrows and widen her eyes in astonishment.

            Selphie was standing behind Seifer's bed, clamping his mouth shut with one palm, pulling his head backwards at the same time, while she was twisting the man's arm behind his back. Dr. Kadowaki was rubbing Seifer's right shoulder, which was now covered with a thick layer of some whitish substance. Irvine leaned under the doorframe behind her, staring at the trio, sniggering.

- _"Hey Quisty." _Selphie said, smiling.

- _"Aaaaand we're done."_ said the doctor, covering Seifer's wound with bandages.

            The blond pulled his arm abruptly, clutching it with his now free palm in a possessive manner, as if he was afraid of anyone trying to steal it. 

- _"Selph babe," _Irvine called behind Quistis _"You wanna go visit Rinoa? We haven't checked her out since yesterday."_

- _"Coming…" _Selphie chirped, skillfully avoiding a rogue blow from Seifer as she passed by.

            She took Irvine's hand and walked outside the room with him. Dr. Kadowaki shot Quistis a grin, who was still staring at everyone in awe.

- _"I'll come check upon you later." _she told Seifer, rubbing his hair before she walked away.

            Seifer frowned, straightening his hair as the door closed behind the doctor.

            Awkward silence filled the room then. Both blondes weren't looking at each other, turning their gazes to anything else in a failed attempt of faked nonchalance.

- _"Umm… hi." _Seifer said eventually, looking up at her.

- _"Hi." _replied Quistis, grinning at him _"Erm… What were they-?"_

- _"Don't ask." _Seifer said, shaking his head.

            Quistis chuckled. She walked towards Seifer's bed, hands folded in front on her.

- _"So… how are you feeling?" _she asked.

- _"I'm OK, I guess…" _Seifer replied shrugging.

- _"Did the doctor say when you'll be released?"_

- _"No, but I don't think it should be long…" _he said _"And uhh… how're you?"_

- _"I'm fine." _ Quistis replied.

- _"Good, good…" _Seifer said, nodding _"Hey, uh, didn't __Irvine__ bring some coffee over or something?" _he asked.

- _"Oh… Yes, I think he was carrying a bag…"_ she replied.

- _"Dammit…" _he cursed _"He was supposed to bring me over some cigarettes…"_

- _"Cigarettes?"_ Quistis said, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Yeah, he left to bring over some coffee and said he'd get me some cigarettes I asked for."_

- _"So… you're in the Infirmary… and you want to smoke…"_ Quistis said frowning, crossing her arms _"Did Dr. Kadowaki allow it?"_

- _"What Dr. Kadowaki doesn't know, can't hurt her…" _Seifer replied grinning mischievously, winking at her.

            Biting the interior of her cheek, Quistis approached Seifer in slow, determined strides. Seifer grinned at her awkwardly, puzzled by her expression.

- _"So you're just going to endanger your health like that?"_ asked Quistis.

- _"That's all bullcrap; I'm fine, aren't I?" _he replied.

            Quistis grinned -in a somewhat weird manner, Seifer noticed- and glared at him. Seifer was about to ask her what was going on, when her palm landed with tremendous force onto his cheek, jerking his head to the side abruptly.

- _"What the fuck's wrong with you, Trepe?!"_ he snarled, clutching his now crimson and stinging cheek.

- _"What's wrong with **me**?!" _Quistis yelled _"What's wrong with **you**! You keep the whole Garden worried on whether you're going to live or not, I stay up **all** night, by your side, for an entire **week**, taking care of you, making sure nothing will go wrong and that you'll make it and when you wake your sorry ass up **what** happens?! You don't give a **crap** about what the doctor tells you, you act like a baby and have the **nerve** to want to **smoke**. **SMOKE!**"_

            Seifer, who had so far been cowering on his bed at Quistis's outburst, staring at her wide-eyed, let out the breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding.

- _"Geez, relax… I'm not dying…" _he mumbled.

- _"Well, you came damn close to it over the past seven days, didn't you?!" _Quistis retorted, the anger still fueling her raging outbreak _"So don't you **dare** tell me to relax you **ungrateful** bastard! Just be glad I didn't plunge that damned blade deeper!"_

            And with those words, she turned her heel and swung the door open, ignoring Irvine and Selphie who were standing right behind it, eavesdropping, and left the Infirmary.

            Selphie squeezed Irvine's palm tightly and squealed.

- _"Awww… She loves him…!"_

* * *

            The pale silvery moonlight slipped into the cold Infirmary room, filtered by the thin curtains hung upon the only window on the wall. The night was unusually chilly for that time of the year; it was almost Spring. But even the hottest of all summer nights wouldn't be able to warm Squall Leonhart's heart.

            It had frozen over the moment he saw her hit the ground.

            He hadn't realized how he felt before. It had dawned on him when all life drained from her within the blink of an eye, rendering her to… this. This cold, rigid, motionless… thing.

            He touched her forehead with his ungloved palm. Cold. Her palm as well. He began rubbing it frantically, as if it would make a difference.

            **_'Rinoa… You feel so cold.'_**

****

            He was struggling to keep the tears from flowing down his face. He had not once cried in his entire life over anything. Not even over the loss of Sis. But right now… his whole world was falling apart before his very eyes, piece by piece, in slow, torturing movements.    

            **_'Are you going to be like this forever?'_**

            No. He'd never make it. He'd never be able to go on without hearing her voice ever again. Who would come wake him up in the mornings, urging him to open up, speak to people about his feelings? Who would come and disrupt his well-organized world with a mere smile, a taunt, a fit of angelic laughter? He had been too stubborn to admit that he yearned for her approach every single day. It always brought color to the so far gray routine he abided by with admirable reverence. The past week had been a rewind back to his old life. His loathsome, boring, depressing, old life. He wanted to feel alive again. But it was only her who could help him.

            He fell down on his knees, burying his face in his palms.

            **_'Isn't there _anything_ I can do?!'_**

            The silence of both his inner and outer environment drove him crazy.

            **_'You were so full of life. Now you don't even make a sound… I want to hear your voice.'_**

            He raised his steel blue eyes upon her stiff from. She looked like an angel. An angel clad in white, buried under the baby blue covers, with her raven hair cascading down her pale, porcelain face and shoulders, rosy lips shut tightly.

            Just like her eyelids.

            **_'This is like talking to a wall.'_**

            Would she ever open them again? Would she ever bring those mirthful chocolate brown eyes upon him ever again? The mere thought of a negative answer was enough to drive him to madness. Now he understood how Quistis had felt all those days, waiting patiently over Seifer's bed for him to wake up. She cared about him more than anything; it was no secret anymore.

            But **she** had been lucky.

            She had seen him again, spoken to him again. And he couldn't think of a person he envied more in the world right now.

            The dark spirit that had consumed their loving Matron for so long had destroyed them on its wake, leaving fatal wounds behind its trail. Fatal for the soul.

            And most of all, it had destroyed **his** soul.

            **_'Rinoa… Call my name.'_**

            He rested his head on her lap, shutting his eyes, sighing.

            He didn't need to open them to know to whom the footsteps that were now being heard belonged.

- _"How is she?"_

            He slid them open, raising himself up from her lap, not speaking.

- _"Stupid question…" _Seifer mumbled, approaching the bed.

- _"So… You're up." _Squall said quietly, never removing his gaze from his sleeping angel.

- _"Yeah…" _Seifer said, taking Rinoa's hand and cupping it in his palms. He remained silent _"You hate me for waking up while she hasn't, don't you?"_

            Squall looked at his blond counterpart for the first time. He was thankful that the shadows of the night hid them both well, so that he wouldn't read his expression. Yes, he did. He **did** hate him so much… In fact he hated everyone who was able to walk, talk, laugh when** she** couldn't…

- _"Yes, I do." _he replied grimly _"But I know it's not your fault." _he added.

- _"Still, you'd prefer to have me in a bed like that and her walking…" _said Seifer.

- _"Yes."_

- _"Can't blame you…" _Seifer said, gingerly putting Rinoa's hand back in place _"I **did** screw you all over."_

- _"I don't care about that." _Squall said _"I can even say I don't blame you for it. But I hate you and every person on this earth for being able to do what she can't."_

- _"That's a confession I never expected to hear from you." _Seifer said, crossing his arms.

- _"What point is there to hide behind masks anymore?" _he asked rhetorically, shrugging.

            Seifer turned his gaze upon Rinoa, sighing. A tiny smile crept upon his lips.

- _"She'll make it." _he said. Squall scoffed.

- _"And how do **you** know?"_ he asked sarcastically.

- _"I know 'cause she's a fighter." _the blond replied _"She's strong on the inside. In case you've forgotten, I know her much better than you do."_

            Squall took in a deep breath.

- _"You never deserved her." _he said, frowning.

- _"That's right; I didn't." _Seifer replied in all honesty _"But she didn't deserve me either. We never deserved each other."_

- _"And I suppose you think you deserve Quistis?" _Squall asked, turning his icy glare onto Seifer. The blond remained silent for a bit.

- _"That'll be her call to make." _he replied, turning his heel.

            He made his way to the doorframe, then stopped, back still turned on his fellow Commander.

- _"Leonhart?"_

            Squall turned around.

- _"Hurt her and I'll kill you."_

            The blond left the room to return to his own, leaving Squall alone once again. The brown haired boy pursed his lips and looked at her once again.

            **_'You _do_ deserve Quistis, you son-of-a-bitch… Question is… Do _I_ deserve Rinoa?'_**   

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, no cliff-hanger this time… Key-word there is 'this'. :-p

Till next time!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The search for Ellone continues…_


	28. Chapter 27: A cruel game of 'Hide and Se...

**A/N:** The Uni idiots were kind enough to inform us **today**, that our first lab exam begins next Tuesday… Lovely.

And how are you today?

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer wakes up after a coma of seven days and finds out that the situation within Garden has become more severe. A new threat shadows their world now and their only hope is to continue the pursue of Ellone…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                          A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                        By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                     Chapter 27: A cruel game of 'Hide and Seek'  **

* * *

* * *

 

_                                                                                                                                             Three days later…_

            Squall Leonhart stepped out of the elevator shaft, entering the third floor of Balamb Garden. His face still bore a dark, ominous shadow, the one that had been haunting his eyes for a little over a week now.  His steps took him to the small lift leading up to the bridge, which he boarded.

            Once reaching the small chamber in which the steering mechanism rested, he gave a firm nod at Nida and Xu who stood there.

- _"Any signs of the ship yet?" _he asked.

- _"No, Squall…" _Nida said, shaking his head in negation _"Centra is a vast continent, full of small gulfs and inlets. If we don't know where we're headed, I think our chances of finding the white SeeD ship are very slim…"_

            It had been over a week now, that the Balamb SeeDs had embarked on a search for the white SeeDs, who were last seen some time ago, when they had visited Garden to take Ellone into hiding. Squall figured that the only chance they had in bringing Rinoa back to consciousness, was realizing exactly what it had been that had rendered her into a coma. And to do that, they needed to find Ellone. She was the only one who could take them into Rinoa's most recent past and reveal the well-hidden secret of her mysterious 'illness'.

- _"You're right." _Squall said, nodding _"Maybe we should postpone the search for a bit, until we gather more evidence about their whereabouts."_

- _"Umm… Squall?" _spoke Xu. The Commander turned and looked at her _"I don't suppose Edea might have a clue as to where the ship is…?"_

            Squall seemed to fall deep in thought for a few seconds, rubbing his temples.

- _"Set a new course for the Lighthouse Orphanage."_

* * *

            A cigarette, long forgotten, now had a long trail of ashes dangling from its edge and it rested onto the ashtray. Seifer lay back first on the hard mattress of is bed, staring up at the ceiling. His emerald gaze pierced right through the cloud of smoke that was hovering above him.

            The medicine Dr. Kadowaki had given him was working its way through his veins right now. A mild sedative, a powerful painkiller, better, to ease the pain he'd otherwise feel greatly right now. It made his eyelids grow heavy.

            The blond's arms were crossed on his pillow, right behind his head, as his thoughts traveled among places and people he'd long ago hidden within the depths of his mind.

            His latest injury had provided him with great amounts of leisure, during which he had seized the opportunity to search through his few personal possessions. One of which now hid, protected by his palm, secure onto his chest.

            The cigarette fell from the ashtray, slowly leaving the imprint of a small burn on the wooden nightstand. The sound of the little remaining cigarette paper being burnt was the only thing that broke the cold silence of his room. He didn't hear it.

            He had fallen asleep.

* * *

            Selphie strode down the hallways of the second floor, heading towards the classrooms. She found class 3B, the one she'd been looking, for and pressed her head against the door. The muffled sound of someone talking reached her ear. Quistis wasn't done with her class yet.

            The copper-haired girl leaned against the wall next to the door, patiently waiting for her friend to finish with her early noon class. She held a blue card, which she toyed around in her fingers for the time to pass.

            After a few minutes, the door of the classroom slid open and a few children exited the room, waving at Selphie politely. The Head of the Garden Festival committee was quite known among Garden by now and her abilities as a soldier had gained her great amounts of respect within the student body. She walked inside the classroom, where Quistis stood behind her desk, talking to some students.

- _"Hello Miss Tilmitt!" _they all chorused together once Selphie approached the desk.

- _"Hey y'all!" _Selphie reciprocated chirpily _"Did you enjoy your lesson today?"_

- _"Oh, yes! Miss Trepe is **reeeally** nice!" _piped in a red-haired boy _"And a very good teacher, too!"_

            Quistis beamed at the kind words of her student and smiled widely.

- _"Thank you, Nathan." _she said.

- _"Now, could you guys leave us alone for a minute?" _asked Selphie _"I have to speak to your teacher."_

            The children looked at Quistis dejectedly.

- _"I'll see you all again tomorrow!" _Quistis told them _"Miss Tilmitt obviously has something important to tell me…"_

            The small group of students agreed to finally leave the classroom half-heartedly, waving at both young women as they exited.

- _"Awww…" _cooed Selphie _"They're all so cute!"_ Quistis sighed.__

- _"I know…"_ she said smiling _"I just love my new job. Now…" _she said, looking up at her friend _"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"_

- _"Oh yeah!" _said Selphie, slapping her forehead lightly _"Dr. Kadowaki asked me to go check upon Seifer, but I can't. I've got some work to do. So I wanted to ask you if you could go."_

- _"Why go check upon him?" _Quistis asked, frowning slightly _"He's a big boy; I'm sure he can go to the bathroom on his own." _she added sarcastically. Selphie rolled her eyes.__

- _"The doctor is giving him some painkillers that are more or less mild sedatives." _she said _"So he'll probably be asleep right now. Just go, check if everything's OK and leave."_

- _"And why me, if I may ask?" _Quistis said, arching an eyebrow.__

- _"Well…" _Selphie said, looking down to her feet _"As I said, I'm busy with work on the Festival. Irvy's helping me out… Zell's out of the question… Squall has work on the bridge… You're the only one left who can go…" _she finished, giving her friend what she reserved as the most innocent version of her smile.__

- _"How convenient…" _Quistis said, crossing her arms, eyes narrowed.__

- _"Oh c'mon!" _Selphie urged her, shoving the card she'd been holding into Quistis's palm _"You know you want to! This is a spare card to his room. Just go, have a look and leave. It's no big deal…"_

- _"Maybe to you…" _Quistis mumbled through gritted teeth.__

- _"What was that?"_ Selphie asked.__

- _"Nothing…" _Quistis said with a sigh.__

- _"So you'll go?"_

- _"Yes… I will." _

- _"Great!" _squealed Selphie, making the blonde roll her eyes _"Well… Gotta run now. See ya later!" _

            And with those words, the miniscule girl disappeared through the doorway. Once outside, she rubbed her hands together and chuckled.

- _"Hee, hee… I'm a genius!" _she said, sprinting down the hallway to the elevator.

Inside the classroom, Quistis was gathering her things from the desk.

- _"Really now…" _she said out loud, shaking her head in disbelief _"As if I can't tell she has arranged that…"_

* * *

            The blond Instructor walked along the Dormitory corridors wearily. A day with three consecutive classes with children was not as 'cute' as it sounded. Disciplining a child demanded a great amount of patience. Thankfully, Quistis possessed that trait. Combined with her affection towards students, it made her a great Instructor for children.

            However, her day wasn't even over and she already felt tired. And the idea of finding Seifer awake and possibly grumpy in his dorm was not something that soothed her weariness.

            As she reached the door to the blond's room, she took a deep breath and hesitated for a second, before digging into her uniform pocket for the card Selphie had given her. Keeping her fingers crossed, she entered the dorm when the light on the card receptor turned green.

            Quistis stepped inside, letting out the breath she'd been holding, as she found Seifer fast asleep on his bed. Closing the door behind her, she rested her binder onto the little vacant space on Seifer's messy desk. The room was rendered into a state of semi-darkness, even though the noon sun shined glorious and warm outside. She discovered that the reason for the lack of proper light was due to the drapes, which Seifer had pulled half-way down. The air, filled with cigarette smoke, lodged into Quistis's throat as she breathed, making her cough and walk towards the window. She pulled the drapes up and opened it wide, letting the fresh air re-ventilate the dorm, taking in a deep breath herself.

            Straightening her uniform, she turned towards Seifer's bed. Her facial features became milder. Amazing what Morpheus did to a strict face once its owner allowed his or herself to be drawn into his embrace. Even the most ominous-looking characters, like one Seifer Almasy, turned into harmless children during their sleep.

            Quistis walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge Seifer's brawny frame had left empty. She gingerly touched his forehead and checked his pulse. Everything seemed normal. And she could now leave the room, reassured that she'd done her duty.

            **_'Not yet…' _**her mind spoke to her, as if a different entity of its own.

            The blonde sighed, raking Seifer's few stray, longer spikes away from his face. She chuckled. They just slid back forward.

            This was probably one of the very few traits that gave Seifer a hint of boyish charm among the forced –from his side- macho façade. The few thin locks that refused to be pulled back in place with the rest of his straw-blond hair. That and his smile. Not the smirk; his **true** smile. The one he rarely displayed in public view. The one he'd given **her** a few times.

**_            He'd passed the written exam, face lit with glee as he swept her off her feet in a tight embrace…_**

****

**_            She had woken up in Iris's house in Timber and his tired face illuminated the moment he saw her wake up…_**

****

**_            They were strolling down the streets of FH, under the starry night. He handed her a gift, beaming at her surprise…_**

****

**_            They were standing outside in the balcony, out in the cold. He smiled at her response to his question, leaning in slowly…_**

****

**_            He was lying with his head on her lap, covered in his own blood as she desperately tried to keep him alive. He was smiling, whispering something she never heard, as he slipped away from her…_**

            Cocking her head to the side, she continued to take in the sight of his sleeping form, until her eyes fell upon something, covered in between his palm and chest.

            She squinted, making out the white edges of what appeared to be a picture. Carefully, she held one corner of the photo, gently pulling it away from his grasp. Seifer let out a sleepy moan, but didn't wake up. Quistis brought the picture before her.

            Her lips parted.

            A woman, with amber eyes and long, silky strands of hair that caressed the shoulders of the child she held in her arms. Both smiling, happy.

            Edea… and young Seifer.

            Young Seifer… and his mother.

            His only true parent, his comfort in times of grief during the years he struggled to live the way a child should.

            His lady in need of a Knight.

            How distant the moments of their forgotten until recently childhood seemed. They had all faded away as they were raised to destruct and follow orders, just like the picture she held in her hands. The once bright colors had long ago faded into shades of yellow and orange, as the picture remained buried under the blond's mattress for years. He used to take it out every single night, searching within her soothing face some consolation to lull him while in bed, only to fall asleep with it, clutched onto his then small and narrow chest.

            Just like he had done now.

            And as the time had passed, the picture was taken out less and less often, until it became nothing but a remote memory and then… nothing. Just a piece of paper decaying to its slow death, only to be resurfaced many years later. Salvaged from an almost certain fate of oblivion.

            Quistis turned the picture around, surprised to find something written behind it. A single sentence of flowing text stood in the middle in blue, in startlingly bold writing. Who said words were not powerful anymore?

_                                                                                                                           Never forget the years of innocence…_

            And he never truly had.

            She remembered vividly the night they'd first truly spoken during a stroll amidst the dark streets of FH at night. He'd remembered her. Vaguely, but he **had**.        

            Sighing, she cautiously slid the picture back in place and leaned down to him.

            **_'Never forget her, Seifer… Never forget the years when we were all innocent…' _**she thought, confident that her words would reach him, and kissed his forehead gingerly.

            Pulling back a bit, she approached his lips, pressing them ever-so-gently with her own. As she drew back again, she saw Seifer's eyelids flutter open the slightest bit. He looked at her through barely open eyes, not knowing whether he was awake or dreaming, within the drug-induced state of his mind.

            His lips twitched upwards and one of his hands rose weakly, a crooked finger touching her cheek.

- _"She is my mother…" _he muttered, in a voice barely audible _"I had to protect her…"_

            The words died on his lips as his eyes closed again and his conscience surrendered to deep slumber. Quistis ran her fingers through his blond locks once more.

- _"I know, Seifer… I know…"_

* * *

_                                                                                                                                             Two days later…_

            Squall, Zell and Quistis walked down the earthy path leading to the entrance of what they once knew as the house in which they grew up. Scattered, although vivid, memories brought the ruins surrounding them to life within their minds, as they reverently took every step forward slowly in a mental agreement, as if they'd be able to grasp upon more recollections that way.

            A pillar they'd once leaned upon countless times, now tainted, wretched.

            A bike they'd ridden out in the yard during sunny days, now broken, damaged beyond repair, lying behind a bush where wild ivy thrived upon it.

            Once they finally found themselves reaching the large wooden front doors, Zell pushed them open. The creaking sound of hinges that hadn't been oiled in years alarmed Edea and Cid of their visitors. The Matron was first to approach, followed by her husband. She was still dressed in the clothes in which they'd faced her not too long ago, as if afraid to take them off. As if afraid that once she removed them, she'd find nothing of her old self to hold onto. Perhaps it was best to pretend, than to gather the courage to face the truth.

            Quistis was the first to break the silence.

- _"Hello again, Matron." _she said, forcing a weak smile to form on her lips.

- _"Hello again, my children." _Edea said. Quistis had the feeling that her Matron was attempting her own version of a forced smile _"Is there anything I can help you with?"_

- _"The White SeeD ship. The one Ellone's on."_ Squall spoke.__

- _"We've been lookin' for it for ages!" _said Zell.__

- _"Those children are… They are very cautious. They would never remain in one place for long."_ Edea replied.__

- _"…I see."_ said Squall.__

- _"Oh yes, however…"_ Edea added _"Those children seemed to have taken a liking to Centra's landscape. Therefore, they may have stationed their ship by an inlet somewhere on the Centra continent."_ she said.

- _"That's where we've been searching all along…" _Zell said dejectedly.

- _"Well… I guess we have no choice but to keep looking."_ Quistis said _"Thank you, Matron."_

- _"Yeah, we'll be on our way now." _Zell said, bowing slightly to Edea.

- _"Oh, and Squall…"_ Edea interrupted just when they were about to leave _"Please take with you this letter that I wrote. With this, they shall welcome you."_

            Squall took the folded yellow paper Edea gave him. Her neat, calligraphic writing was apparent from the back of the paper, in deep blue ink. Quistis smiled poignantly at the sight of it.

- _"Thank you, Matron. We-"_ Squall began.

            He was interrupted by the familiar creaking sound of the door. He watched Edea's lips part in awe and he immediately turned around to see who was standing behind them.

            Seifer.

            No-one spoke for a fair few minutes, as they all stood frozen, looking from the Matron to Seifer and back again. The two never broke eye contact.

- _"I was…" _Seifer muttered eventually _"I was just wondering if I could-"_

- _"You look pale." _Squall cut him off, frowning _"Did the doctor give you permission to leave Garden?"_ he asked. Seifer nodded.__

- _"Well then…" _spoke Quistis _"I think we should…"_

            All but Seifer and Edea nodded in consent, making their way outside, leaving the two alone.

            The tall blond kept staring at Edea expressionless, as she returned the gaze, looking as if she were in a daze. She didn't need to be told who she was facing. She'd never forget these deep emerald eyes that were trained to hide and tame the darkness they held within. She'd never forget his golden hair. She'd never forget his proud stature. She'd never forget **him**.

            Seifer swallowed with difficulty, trying to choke down the pent up emotions that were struggling to surface any moment now.

            He turned away, lowering his head down, as a single tear ran down his cheek.

            Not able to stand the lack of contact anymore, Edea rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, bursting into tears.

            Her little boy… How much he'd grown over the years… He had become a handsome man, capable of making it on his own, valiant enough to protect her when she needed it, even if he knew he'd have the world against him. He had remembered her…

            Seifer shut his eyes, breath wavering. His mother… Holding him in her warm embrace, as if not a single day had passed. As if she'd been doing it every day for the past thirteen years…

            He was unable to repress the sob that slithered up his throat and he fell to his knees, holding her waist, resting his head on her stomach.

            And he wept.

            No words were spoken.

            They were not needed…

* * *

                        _I never truly understood the bond that Edea and Seifer shared… Until now._

_                                                                        Neither did I, Quisty. All those years we spent together in the orphanage… I remember Seifer clinging onto Edea,_

_                                                                        just like Squall did with me. But I never knew he considered her a mother to him._

_                                    We all did in some way. But to him, it obviously went deeper. You know, I'm beginning to understand him a lot more. I can see why he did_

_                                    what he did in 'my world'. It was wrong, but he was following his heart. He was just a child… separated from its mother too early…_

* * *

_                                                                                                                                             Three days later…_

- _"I see it!" _Nida exclaimed, pointing at a pair of white wing-like sails in the horizon _"We found it!"_

            The two Commanders approached the glass wall, wanting to take a closer look at what Nida was pointing towards. Seifer, now fully recovered, pulled the binoculars up to his eyes, zooming the image in.

- _"Yep… That's gotta be it…" _he said, handing the binoculars to Squall, to take a closer look.

            The brown-haired Commander nodded in agreement the moment he took a glance.

- _"Right… Let's approach them, then." _he said.

            Following the orders given to him, Nida steered the Garden through the fiord-like shores of Centra, heading towards the ship seen in the distance. The massive structure that is Balamb Garden towered the already big ship, casting a shadow upon it. Startled, the residents of the ship were alarmed at the arrival of possible hostility.

            The Front Gates of Balamb Garden slid open and a mechanical stairway installed by the FH technicians descended onto the main deck of the ship. The small amount of SeeD forces gathered onto the ship relaxed slightly, as they saw the forms of just three men descend from the stairway. The tallest one, a blond, stood in the middle, while a shorter blond and a brown-haired one stood on his sides.

            The moment the three approached the white-clad SeeDs, the latter were surprised to be greeted by the proverbial SeeD salute. And upon closer look, two of them seemed very familiar.

            A man from the white SeeD forces stepped forward and addressed Squall.

- _"We meet again."_ he said.

- _"My name is Squall."_ one of the Commanders said _"These are Seifer and Zell."_ he added, pointing at each one respectively _"We're SeeDs from __Balamb__Garden__. We'd like to speak to your leader."_

- _"I'm in charge."_ replied the man _"State_ _your business. Depending on what you say, we may ask you to leave immediately."_

- _"We're here to see Ellone."_ said Seifer.

            The white SeeD leader seemed quite shocked when Seifer uttered Ellone's name.

- _"We pose no threat."_ Squall rushed to say _"Edea told us that you would be here."_

- _"Yeah, man…"_ Zell spoke _"So chill. We ain't here to harm anyone."_

- _"Edea…"_ muttered the leader _"How…?"_

- _"Edea is no longer under Sorceress Ultimecia's control."_ said Seifer _"She is now our ally. So there's no reason for you to hide Ellone's whereabouts from us."_

- _"We want to take Ellone back to protect her from Ultimecia."_ Squall added.

            The white SeeD leader took a deep breath and creased his forehead.

- _"Thank you for coming,"_ he began _"But we have no reason to believe you. Please leave."_

- _"Hold on a second." _Seifer said, grabbing the man's shoulder as he whirled around to leave _"What if we say we've got the evidence to prove it?"_ The leader arched an eyebrow.

- _"Evidence?"_ he asked.

            Seifer turned and looked at Squall knowingly. The Commander nodded and dug his hand in his front pocket, retrieving a neatly folded piece of paper, with visible blue writing. He handed it to the leader, who rushed to read it in curiosity. For a few silent minutes, the three Balamb SeeDs watched the white SeeD leader exchange one expression for the other. Confusion, astonishment, excitement, worry…

- _"This is Matron's writing."_ he said eventually _"She really gave this to you?"_

- _"You guys call her Matron too, huh?"_ Seifer asked, smiling.

- _"Yes."_ replied the leader _"Ever since we were little."_

- _"We were raised by Edea, too."_ Squall added _"It was difficult to fight against her, but we did. Fortunately, everything turned out well. Edea is no longer evil. She's back to her old self again…"_

- _"The kind Matron we remember."_ Seifer piped in.

- _"Squall, Seifer, Zell… thank you. We owe you and __Balamb__Garden__ much."_ the leader said sincerely, saluting them all.

- _"Dude, even our salute is the same."_ Zell said, grinning.

- _"Matron told us it hasn't changed since SeeD was established."_ replied the white SeeD leader _"Follow __me.__" _he said, heading towards the lower deck.

            The three SeeDs followed the white SeeD leader onto a chamber in the lower deck, where the man sighed and gave the letter one last glance.

- _"So it says in the letter, you're looking for Ellone…"_ he said, frowning _"…I'm sorry. Ellone's no longer here."_

- _"Say WHAT?!" _Zell exclaimed.

- _"Remember we picked her up from your Garden near the FH coast?" _the leader asked. Squall nodded _"After that we headed east to get away as far as we could from Edea and Galbadia. Before long, we encountered the Galbadian fleet."_ he narrated _"They had a lot of ships. Obviously, they were searching for us. We should've been more careful." _he added, shaking his head_ "They pursued us in full force. Luckily, we were able to escape but, then our ship broke down and we were stranded. There was no way we were going to let the Galbadians take Ellone. Eventually, the Galbadians caught up to us and we had no choice but to prepare for battle. Then an Esthar ship appeared." _

- _"Esthar?" _Seifer asked, frowning. The leader nodded.__

- _"A battle began between them, and we were caught in the middle of it."_ he went on_ "Then something strange happened. Suddenly, an Esthar ship came up beside us and Esthar soldiers came aboard. They told us to get aboard their ship. It sounded like an order to evacuate. Of course, we refused. We didn't trust them just as we didn't trust the Galbadians. As the Esthar soldiers were trying to convince us, the battle became more intense. Soon they were forced to leave our ship. As their ship was pulling away, Ellone yelled out something. Then, all of a sudden, she jumped onto their ship. It wasn't like her at all. To this day, I don't understand why she did that. After that, Esthar's fleet withdrew from battle and fled. After they left, we… well, it's a long story. After our ship is fully repaired, we plan to go to Esthar. Sorry… We couldn't protect her."_

- _"So… Ellone's now in Esthar?" _Squall asked.__

- _"We believe so."_

* * *

            The silence within the Balamb Garden Infirmary was only broken by the sound of pages being turned. Pages from the magazine Dr. Kadowaki was reading in boredom. She hated her job sometimes, because she usually got to communicate with the students when they were hurt, aching. But the smiles on their faces once they left the Infirmary, recovered and healthy, always reminded her why she chose that profession in the first place.

            She hated to admit it, but sometimes the fact that she worked in a military Academy, where children got hurt all the time, relieved her, because her job took the boredom out of her otherwise quite stagnant life. Having patients like Seifer Almasy often amused her, as they complained about every single thing during their stay there, making her work a bit more challenging and –let's face it- fun. Of course, there was nothing amusing about the sight of a fatally wounded and bleeding patient; it was the recovery process that proved to be entertaining.

            However, now that one Seifer Almasy had recuperated, her only patient was Rinoa Heartily. The middle-aged doctor never got to know the girl very well, as she was a new addition to -what she liked to call- their 'family'. Still, the grief she felt whenever she touched the stone-cold skin of the young girl was unimaginable. It was even greater when her faithful friends came to visit her, the light of hope extinguishing slowly but steadily from their eyes. It particularly ached her to watch Squall spend night after night by her side, hoping, praying, **pleading** for her to open her eyes, speak, laugh again. It was no secret that the arrival of that girl had dramatically changed the so far cold-hearted young mercenary's life. From the short period of time that she had gotten to know Rinoa Heartily, Dr. Kadowaki had perceived the girl's ability to warm the hearts of those around her, but the 'miracle' she had performed with the brown-haired Commander never ceased to amaze her.

            Sighing, she continued to read her magazine, rather absentmindedly, as her only patient lay within the room only feet away from her, rigid and expressionless.

            Rinoa's slender fingers were intertwined, palms resting onto her lower chest in a somewhat morbid pose. The little color that had always rested on the cheeks of her, otherwise pale, face had now drained completely.

            Her eyes remained closed as always, sealed windows of her soul that struggled within her insides for answers, hope, something to hold onto. Flashes of memories ran in fast forward within her blank page of a mind.

**_            Flash. Her mother is standing above her bed, her angelic voice singing a lullaby to finally put her restless spirit to sleep._**

****

**_            Flash. She is cowering into a corner, eyes shut to prevent any more tears from falling, as she presses her ears closed to the horrible sound of her parents fighting once again._**

****

**_            Flash. Her father is falling weak onto his knees, defeated, after receiving an urgent phone-call in the middle of the same night. _**

****

**_            Flash. She is pulling the curtains aside, watching a flurry of black-clad people -her father among them- following a narrow, wooden crate, from the window. Her nanny pulls her away, tears streaming from her green, usually cheerful, eyes.    _**

****

**_            Flash. She is now older, within the middle of yet another vicious quarrel with her father._**

****

**_            Flash. She is talking to two young boys, about her own age. They are starting up a rebel organization to liberate Timber._**

****

**_            Flash. She's one of the leaders of the attack against the Galbadians._**

****

**_            Flash. A tall, handsome, blond boy pulls her from the wrist, sprinting down the streets of Timber amidst the battlefield scenery surrounding them._**

****

**_            Flash. Seifer is laying her down on the grass. His lips descend on hers._**

****

**_            Flash. Seifer is hugging her at the _****_Deling_********_City_****_ Train Station._**

****

**_            Flash. She is running to the balcony of Balamb Garden, crying. A brown-haired boy with the most handsome face and the most startlingly icy blue eyes she had ever seen, is offering her his handkerchief._**

****

**_            Flash.  Squall is pinning her to the floor and away from danger, as two ominous creatures are about to attack her._**

****

**_            Flash. Squall is standing before her awkwardly, as she circles around him in the stage of FH, dressed in her formal, white dress._**

****

**_            Flash. Squall is catching her into his embrace, then throws her into the sea. His strong arms are cradling her as the sound of an explosion takes place above the surface._**

****

**_            Flash. Squall arrives with a flying device, saving her from a fate of certain death as she hangs for dear life from the edge of _****_Balamb_********_Garden_****_._**

****

**_            Flash. Squall talks to her about his ring, Griever, and allows her to keep it. _**

****

**_            Flash. Her vision grows hazy, as a surge of relaxing energy overtakes her when the Sorceress looks at her, until she knows no more._**

            Darkness…

            Pure darkness…

            Silence…

            And then, a voice… 

                                                                                                                                 _Excitas__ tu e somno, liber meus…_

_                                                                                                                                           Cunabula non est…_

_                                                                                                                                                   Excitas…_

            She took a deep breath.

            Her torso rose from the mattress of her bed, palms still in the same position.

            Her eyes flew open.

            But their color had abandoned them. Instead of the dark brown in her irises, the deepest, most sinister shade of red now spread.

            She rose from the bed, walking in a state of trance towards the threshold.

            Her eyes were vacant, empty. Her movements mechanical, controlled. Almost puppet-like.

            She reached the doorframe and stepped outside.

            Dr. Kadowaki looked up from her desk. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened saucer-like. The girl didn't even seem to notice her.

- _"R-R-Rinoa…?" _she muttered in utter surprise.

            For the first time, the raven-haired girl turned around and looked at the doctor.

_                                                                                                                                                 Vale, liber…   
                                                                                                                                             Diebus fatalibus…_

            She continued to walk towards the exit, ignoring the older woman completely.

            Regaining her composure, Dr. Kadowaki rushed over to her, holding her from the shoulders. Immediately, she felt a surge of electricity run through her every fiber. The energy sent her falling into a heap onto the corner near her. She opened her eyes with difficulty, trying to stand up straight. What was going on? What was happening to Rinoa? That couldn't be her…

- _"Rinoa, stop! What happened to you?!" _the doctor called.

            Once again, the young girl stopped in her tracks to throw a glance at Dr. Kadowaki. Her up-to-now empty gaze became filled with superiority and disdain. As the woman approached again, Rinoa raised her arm, getting a firm grasp of the doctor's neck. With tremendous and inhumane power, she raised her up, pinning her to the adjacent wall. Dr. Kadowaki's screams were muffled as her breathing became blocked. She had never felt more scared in her entire life…

            The girl turned her gaze to the exit, where distant shouts could be heard. Apparently, someone had heard Dr. Kadowaki's cries. She removed her grip from the doctor's neck, letting her fall unconscious onto the floor.

            Rinoa stepped outside the Infirmary, where a small group of SeeDs and students had arrived, all absolutely stunned to see her awake and in such a state.

            A smirk appeared wide on the girl's lips, as she extended one arm forward.

- _"Vermi…" _she spoke mockingly _"**ULTIMA!**"_

* * *

            Seifer, Squall and Zell ascended the small stairway leading up to the main deck again, getting ready to board their Garden, when…

- _"Wow! Long time no see, sir!"_

            All three of them turned around, puzzled, upon hearing a familiar voice call them from behind. Zell arched both eyebrows, Squall sighed inwardly and Seifer frowned.

- _"__Watts__?" _the tall blond said in disbelief.

- _"Seifer?!" _exclaimed Watts _"What are **you** doing here?!"_

- _"For your information, I'm a Commander in Garden." _Seifer retorted proudly.

- _"**YOU**?! A **Commander**?!" _spoke another male voice behind Watts.

- _"Zone." _Seifer said, frowning even more.

- _"Yeah, it's kinda hard for us to believe, too…" _Zell commented grinning, earning a glare from Seifer.

- _"Don't make me demote your sorry ass, Chicken-Wuss…" _he threatened.

- _"Ha! You can't do that!" _Zell said, then creased his forehead, turning to look at Squall _"Can he?"_

- _"That's not the point here." _Squall said, raising both hands _"What are you two doing here?" _he addressed Zone and Watts.

- _"After you guys left, the Galbadian buttheads came after us, and we barely escaped to this boat."_ Zone replied.

- _"I was sure we were goners, sir!"_ Watts added _"Zone went nuts and was thinking about swimming across the sea to escape!"_

- _"Hey, it was a plan!"_ Zone snapped, frowning _"All you were doing was whining like a big baby. 'We're gonna die, we're gonna die!'"_ he said, mimicking Watts's voice _"And look who jumped in first! You, you numbnuts!"_

            Squall shook his head in disbelief. **_'I don't see how these wackos keep surviving.' _**

- _"So, how's Rinoa?"_ Zone asked eagerly _"Where is she?"_

            The three SeeDs exchanged awkward glances.

- _"This ain't gonna be pretty…" _Seifer mumbled. Squall sighed.

- _"Rinoa fought with us against Edea."_ he spoke _"For some reason, she went unconscious after the fight. She's resting in the Garden now. I don't know what happened. We couldn't protect her. I'm… I'm sorry…"_

All color drained from Zone's face within the blink of an eye. The young boy seemed stunned by the news about his friend's state. He remained silent for a fair couple of minutes, taking in deep breath, until suddenly, he cracked.

- _"YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!!!"_ he screamed at Squall, who took a step backwards _"**What** did I say?!!! What did I say, HUH?!!! I told you to take care of her!!! That nothin' better happen to her!!! Scumbag! You pathetic, lyin' scumbag!!!"_

            Squall lowered his head at Zone's accusations. Everything he feared to admit, but acknowledged as the truth to him, was being spat at him viciously.

- _"And **YOU**!!!" _Zone now addressed Seifer _"I suppose you just abandoned her again, just like you did that summer, didn't you?! **Didn't **you, you bastard?!!"_

- _"Zone," _Seifer said wearily, running a hand through his hair _"There was nothing we could d-"_

- _"**BULLSHIT**!" _Zone went on yelling.

- _"Zone! C'mon! Easy, sir! Easy."_ Watts finally intervened, grabbing his friend, who was now trying to lunge towards Seifer and Squall, by the arms _"She's not dead. They just dunno what's wrong with her, that's all. Ain't that right, sir?"_ he said, looking at Squall _"They would never give up on her. Am I right, sir?"_

Squall nodded in consent **_'Maybe that guy should be given more credit…'_**

- _"We came here to get Ellone because there's a new evil force after her."_ he spoke _"If we can get Ellone and Rinoa together, maybe… we can get Rinoa back."_

- _"Really?!"_ exclaimed Watts _"See, Zone?! I told you, sir! Rinoa's gonna be fine! She promised she would come back! We all have to free Timber together. Don't worry, sir!"_

            Zone's temper had calmed down a fair amount by now, although he was still breathing heavily and was shaking. He cast Squall a dark, ominous look.

- _"All right."_ he muttered _"But I'm gonna say it one more time."_ he said, pointing at Squall _"If something happens to Rinoa again, I swear…"_

            He never found the words to finish his sentence, he just scoffed and turned his heel, walking away from them. Watts shot them an apologetic look and waved somewhat shyly, running after Zone.

            After both of them were out of sight, Squall let out the breath he'd been holding.

- _"Well…" _Seifer spoke _"That was… intense."_

- _"Tell me about it…" _Zell agreed, nodding _"So what's the deal with you and those two? More people in the world who despise you?" _he asked sarcastically.__

- _"Watch that tongue, Zelly." _Seifer snarled _"And to answer your question… If you weren't stupid, you'd have understood by now, that Zone hates every male with whom Rinoa gets 'romantically involved'…" _

- _"Why?" _asked Zell, creasing his forehead.__

- _"Cause he's in love with her, you idiot!" _Seifer said, rolling his eyes _"Are you **that** fucking blind?!"_

- _"What I don't understand,"_ Squall piped in _"Is this: So, OK, your explanation excuses Zone's dislike. What about __Watts__?"_

- _"How the hell should I know?"_ Seifer said, shrugging _"Maybe they were both just jealous of me…" _

- _"Why, exactly?" _Squall asked, cocking a sarcastic eyebrow.__

- _"Just move the fuck on!" _Seifer said wearily, leading the way back to Garden.__

            Squall and Zell followed him, shaking their heads in disbelief__

* * *

            . The trio made their way back through the Gates, walking down the wide corridor leading to the Main Hall, when the sound of screams caught their attention.

- _"What the hell?" _Seifer mumbled, frowning, breaking into a run.

            The three SeeDs made their way into the 'heart' of the Main Hall, only to be greeted with a shocking sight.

            A fair number of SeeDs and students lay onto the marble floor, some wounded and others seemingly unconscious or even worse… dead. A state of chaos reigned within the Academy as people ran frantically across the Halls, shouting unintelligible cries.

- _"Selphie! __Irvine__! Scout the area for more wounded! I'll get to the Infirmary to check Dr. Kadowaki!"_

            Seifer spotted the source of the only voice of reason among the mayhem.

            Quistis.

            He saw Selphie and Irvine run into different directions in the distance, as Quistis made a move to run towards the Infirmary.

- _"Quistis!"_ he called.

            The blonde turned around and looked at them, a tremendous amount of sudden relief apparent in her eyes. However, her worry was never extinguished. She ran towards them, panting, in a state of frenzy.   

- _"Oh, thank **HYNE** you're back!" _she exclaimed, as they all ran to her _"It's chaos in here!"_

- _"What happened?"_ Seifer asked worriedly, resting a hand on her shoulder.__

- _"It was awful!" _Quistis whimpered, grasping Seifer's arms so hard, he felt the pain shoot across all over his body _"Shewokeup!"_ Quistis spat out, trembling_ "AndshedidsomethingterribletoDr.Kadowaki!Idon'tknowifshe'salive!Andnowshe'sgoneand…"_

- _"Quisty, Quisty…" _Seifer tried to calm her down, holding her hands.__

- _"Shetookavesselandleftand…" _Quistis went on in one breath, hyperventilating, tears falling down her cheeks _"Butnoonecouldtouchherorstopherand…"_

- _"**QUISTIS**!"_ Seifer yelled, grabbing her face with both palms, firmly _"Calm down! Breathe!"_

            The Instructor stopped talking, trying to breathe normally again, as Seifer rubbed her arms in comfort.

- _"Now…" _Seifer spoke softly _"What happened?"_

- _"It's Rinoa…" _Quistis uttered.

- _"What's wrong with Rinoa?!" _Squall demanded, stepping forward.

- _"No-one knows…" _Quistis said apologetically, looking at him _"She woke up. But she wasn't herself…"_

- _"What do you mean?!" _Zell asked anxiously.

- _"I don't know…" _Quistis went on, shaking her head _"She seemed… possessed. Her eyes were glowing red, a red aura was surrounding her… No-one could touch her. She hurt Dr. Kadowaki… But it couldn't have been her! It just **couldn't**!"_

- _"Is Dr. Kadowaki dead?!" _Zell asked, petrified.

- _"I don't know, I don't know…" _muttered Quistis _"I'm so sorry… I tried to stay calm… I'm so sorry…" _she went on, shaking her head _"I wanted to keep order around here, but when I saw her… I'm so sorry…"_

- _"Shh…" _Seifer said, pulling her into a hug _"It'll be OK…" _

            Quistis wrapped her arms around his waist, shaking uncontrollably, mumbling incoherent words. Squall pulled her from the shoulder, making her look at him.

- _"Where is Rinoa now?" _he asked in a demanding manner.

- _"She's gone…" _Quistis said breathlessly.

- _"Gone?!" _Squall growled _"HOW? WHEN?!"_

- _"She took a vessel. I don't know how she knew to operate it, but she's gone…" _Quistis replied.

- _"To WHERE?!" _Squall yelled.

            Quistis just shook her head apologetically and shrugged as an answer. She seemed in the verge of more tears.

- _"Come on, Squall…" _Seifer mumbled _"Let her breathe for a second…" _he said, rubbing Quistis's back, who had now buried herself in his arms again.

            Squall fell onto his knees, covering his face in his palms.

            **_'This can't be happening…' _**he thought **_'Rinoa…'_**

            He sighed.

            **_'Rinoa, where are you? Where did you go…?'_**  

* * *

**A/N:** Another sort-of cliff-hanger. Meh, what can I say? If I can't torture you with few big ones, I'll settle for continuous small ones :-p

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_That aftermath of Rinoa's escape is much worse than expected…_

_Where has she disappeared to?_

_How will her friends pursue her?_


	29. Chapter 28: Eulogy

**A/N:** Hello dudes, dudettes… ****

Another update of this story… And yet another slightly sad one. Just so you know, updates will be a tad less frequent (one or two days more tops) due to my upcoming exams. My apologies beforehand.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ The SeeDs finally approach the white ship, but Ellone is nowhere to be found. Our heroes decide to set a new course for Esthar, were Ellone most possibly resides for the time being. However, something weird happens to Rinoa that causes her to awaken. _

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                                          Chapter 28: Eulogy **

* * *

* * *

_"Gimme the body count…"_  Seifer said, running a hand through his hair.

            The blond Commander was standing outside the Infirmary, cigarette between his fingers. Before him, stood a young female SeeD, holding a binder. As the two conversed, cadets passed by every now and then, carrying black, nylon bags.

            Body bags.

            The girl hesitated, fiddling with the pen in her hand as she skimmed through the report on the binder.

_"Well…" _she said _"There are many students recovering as we speak. Some of them are in good condition, but others may not make it, so-"_

_"**The body count.**" _Seifer repeated firmly. The girl sighed.

_"Four deceased, seven severely wounded." _she replied _"And about three recovering."_

_"Do you have their names?" _Seifer asked, taking in a long drag from his cigarette.

_"Johnson, Gabriel._ _Moreno, Brian._ _Silveria, Drake. Schaffer, Angelina…" _the girl muttered _"The deceased ones."_

            Seifer swore, throwing his cigarette onto the floor.

            Angelina used to be his girlfriend. They may have not ended their relationship in good terms, but the news of her death was a heavy blow to take. The image of her smile came in mind. He always liked her smile; it brought out her pretty face. Her full lips stretching, the little dimples appearing next to them, her misty blue eyes lightening up, her laughter… He remembered the feel of her silky black hair as he ran his fingers through it when they were together… He suddenly felt a tremendous amount of guilt for never truly loving her, for the way things turned out… He'd never even apologized for any of the things he felt he'd done wrong. But now it was too late…

            And then there was Gabriel. He was in Seifer's team the day he passed his SeeD exam. Handsome, spirited, a good fighter… A nice guy… A guy he could have easily befriended. His thoughts traveled to his girlfriend, Sandra Keenan. He'd met her in the SeeD Ball. A pretty brunette. They had both passed that day. And seemed so happy together… He couldn't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling right now.

            Two out of the four people deceased, had been people he knew. People he'd met. And now they lay rigid in black body bags, waiting patiently to be carried to their final and eternal residence.

            The last body bag emerged from the Infirmary door, carried by Cedric and Raijin. The blond stepped over to them.

_"Hold on a sec." _he told them.

            He picked up the small white card dangling from a piece of rope onto the bag and read it. _Angelina Schaffer_.

_"Lay it down." _he ordered.

_"But Seifer, man…" _Raijin protested _"We gotta take it to-"_

_"**Lay it. Down**." _he repeated.

            Raijin looked at Cedric, nodding in agreement. Slowly, they lowered the bag down, resting it onto the marble floor. Seifer kneeled down next to it and with trembling fingers, he zipped it open.   

            A pair of pale blue lips and the tip of a nose stood out. Seifer pulled the sides of the body bag down. Angelina's face and shoulders appeared. Her eyes were closed shut and her long hair, even at this moment, we sprawled graciously around her face and shoulders. Her left eyelid had burned away, her right cheek was tainted by a huge open gash and the skin on her neck was wrinkled beyond imagination.

            Magic burns. And fatal ones, considering the strong spell they had resulted from.

            Seifer shut his eyes and hissed, stifling a curse through clenched teeth. His hands were still gripping the sides of the bag so strongly, that his knuckles had turned white. Trying hard not to take in the scent of once vivid flesh, now decaying minute after minute, he opened his eyes. He touched a stray lock of her hair. Just as soft as it had always been… But the tip was burned out… He tucked the lock behind her ear and ran a finger down her less wounded cheek.

_"Rest in peace, Angelina…" _he whispered, zipping the body bag shut.

            He stood back up and turned to Raijin.

_"Take her away." _he said, walking inside the Infirmary.

* * *

            Dr. Kadowaki glanced outside her window. It was pouring outside and the wind, accompanied with the distant sound of thunder s wasn't promising a good weather for the night.

            Fujin was standing above the doctor's wheelchair. The resident physician was temporarily using one until she'd be able to walk normally again. The surge of energy that had filled her the moment Rinoa had touched her, had paralyzed her nerves. And she was beginning to accept the fact that some may never return to fully normal function again.

            The doctor glanced at the silver-haired girl standing above her, changing the bandages around her neck. Fujin had been there for a fair couple of hours along with other students, in order to help out with the injured ones, since Dr. Kadowaki wasn't able to fulfill her duty at this moment. However, Fujin hadn't uttered a single word from the moment she'd stepped inside the Infirmary. She just followed the doctor's directions with skill and patience and was now tending to her own wounds.

            Still speechless.

            Fujin Kazano was always known to say little, **very** little in fact. Bringing up the background history behind the girl in mind, Dr. Kadowaki reminded herself that Fujin came from a wealthy, but very strict family. Her late father, once General Kazano of the Trabian army, had no offspring other than Fujin. She figured that a great military figure like him would have opted for a boy had he been able to choose, but from the looks of it, Fujin was everything a man could be in terms of a soldier. Disciplined, graced by Hyne with admirable skills when handling a Shuriken, reserved… From what the doctor had heard, Fujin was the pride and joy for her father, who would announce in every given occasion that his daughter would once become a very gifted member of the Trabian forces.

            Until he passed away.

            Brutally murdered in his house by traitors of his own forces, while Fujin watched with her still so very young eyes. The eyes which would later on be mutilated during an attempt of her murder by the assassins of her father. She was brought back to safety from few of the still faithful to the General Trabian soldiers. But she would always carry with her a reminder of the night her father died in a way that was disgraceful for a soldier of his caliber. Unable to go on residing in the same house in which she saw her father slip away from life, she was brought to the nearest Garden Academy; Balamb Garden. She refused to speak to anyone for a fair amount of time, until her grief was soothed.

            Her eyesight and speech never recovered fully.

            And now, she stood in front of her, a grown woman. Beautiful and austere, still not uttering a single word.

_"Thank you, Fujin." _Dr, Kadowaki spoke, once the girl was done with the bandages.

            The girl simply nodded and bowed her head slightly in response.

            Seifer Almasy stepped inside the Infirmary that moment. Holding a **cigarette**.

_"Seifer…" _the doctor said _"Need I remind you that smoking is prohibited in here?" _she asked, arching an eyebrow.

_"Oh yeah…" _he said, smacking himself on the forehead _"Sorry. Forgot."_ he mumbled, putting it out by the garbage bin near the entrance _"How's the situation here?"_ he asked.

_"Better than expected." _the older woman replied _"Even the severely wounded seem to be recovering well."_

_"Good, good… Fujin, everything OK?" _Seifer asked his long-time companion.

_"IN ORDER." _she replied, nodding.

_"Right… Well, we'll be holding the… funeral in a couple of hours, before it gets too dark outside…" _the blond muttered.

_"Have you informed their parents?" _Dr. Kadowaki asked.

_"Yeah, they're on their way. We sent out our aircrafts to pick them up." _he replied _"This isn't going to be pretty…"_

_"ANGRY?" _Fujin asked. Seifer scoffed.

_"'Angry' hardly does them any justice." _he said _"They hold Garden responsible for what happened. And I'm willing to bet they're not liking Rinoa too much, either…"_ he added, running a hand through his hair _"Anyway, we'll try to explain the situation and hope for the best. Our primary objective is to track Rinoa down and see what happened to her."_

_"Any luck?" _the doctor asked.

_"Squall and some of the others are already up in the bridge." _Seifer replied _"They're tracking down the vessel she took with her using the radar, so that we can pursue. They should-"_

_"Commander Almasy, sir?" _

            Seifer turned around to face the person who had called him. A male student clad in SeeD uniform stood there.

_"Yes?" _Seifer said.

_"Commander Leonhart is outside, expecting to talk to you." _the boy replied.

_"Speak of the devil…" _Seifer muttered, walking towards the exit of the Infirmary.

  

            The tall blond stepped outside, coming face-to-face with Squall and the rest of his friends.

_"Well…? Did you find her?" _Seifer asked.

_"Yes. She's headed Southwest." _Squall replied _"Fortunately, she's moving slowly. The bad weather and the fiord-like formation of Centra aren't allowing her to go fast enough."_

_"Good." _Seifer replied, nodding _"So what do we do from here?"_

_"We need two groups formed." _Zell replied _"One has to go after Rinoa, but we still need to contact Esthar and find Sis."_

_"We can't afford to lose more time in case Rinoa goes ballistic again." _Irvine added _"Only Ellone can help us."_

_"OK, I see…" _Seifer replied _"But it'll have to wait for after the funeral."_

_"It might be too late then!" _Squall snapped _"If we don't go after her **now** we're bound to lose her!"_

_"We won't. Not if we take an aircraft." _Seifer said _"We'll just wait after the funeral, when the weather gets better and go after her."_

_"Who tells you the weather will get better?" _Squall retorted, narrowing his eyes _"If we don't go now, it might get even worse and the game is over."_

_"Umm…" _Quistis piped in _"Actually, Xu made a few phone calls to the Met Centers in FH and Balamb and both said the storm won't last long. An hour, tops."_

_"I'm still not waiting." _Squall persevered, crossing his arms.

_"Four people **died** today, Squall!" _Seifer snapped _"While both of us were away. The least we can do is attend their funeral. Fuck, if you won't do it for them, at least do it for the sake of their parents. What the hell am I going to say to them if you're not there?"_

_"I DON'T CARE!" _Squall yelled.

            Seifer stared at his co-Commander through narrowed irises. Squall returned the glare determinedly. He couldn't begin to tell them how guilty he felt for the death of those four SeeDs while he wasn't even there, but right now, he couldn't think of anything else other than Rinoa. He didn't want to **do** anything else other than help Rinoa. And no-one seemed to understand. Especially Seifer… The silence between them was becoming too heavy with each passing second.

            Selphie's comment didn't help either…

_"Geez, Squall… Show some sensitivity… We're all worried about Rinoa, but-"_

_"Did anyone ask for **your** opinion?!" _Squall snapped at her. Selphie lowered her head.

_"What the hell's wrong with you man?!"_ Irvine piped in, frowning _"I can understand how you feel, but don't go lashing out at us!"_

_"OK, **FINE**!"_ Squall hissed _"I'm staying for the funeral. Is that what you all wanted to hear?!"_

_"Fuck you. If you're going to be an ass about it, then don't stay." _Seifer said _"I'll just tell everyone's parents that we're sorry Commander Puberty isn't here, but the lover-boy within him awoke all of a sudden."_

            The silence became deadlier this time. Squall's breathing became deeper and his eyes narrowed into slits.

_"You take that back." _he hissed, voice ominously low.

            Seifer stood up straight, crossing his arms in front of his chest, the familiar Mephistophelian smirk crossing his lips once again.

_"What's the matter?" _he asked _"Did I… hit a nerve there?"_

_"**Take it. Back."**_ Squall repeated in a growl, stepping towards the blond.

_"What if I don't?" _Seifer said in a daring manner.

_"I **said**, take it back, Almasy!" _Squall hissed _"Don't you **dare** to try and have a go at me because you decided to grow a **FUCKING** CONSCIENCE AFTER **EIGHTEEN** YEARS OF BEING AN ASSHOLE!!!"_

            It all happened within the blink of an eye.

            Seifer grabbed Squall by the T-shirt, slamming him against the wall behind them. The blond's height gave him an advantage over Squall, which he was more than willing to use to his own gain. The latter didn't take time to retaliate, lading a hard kick on Seifer's crotch. The blond doubled-up in pain.

_"SON-OF-A-**BITCH**!" _he hissed.

            The moment Squall got back to his feet, he was greeted with a hard punch on the face that sent him slamming against the wall again. Lunging forward, he grabbed Seifer by the waist, bringing the blond down to the floor with him. Standing above him, he took his revenge for the previous blow, by punching Seifer himself.

            The latter fought back, rolling with Squall on the floor among a flurry of punches and kicks, in an attempt to pin him down to the floor.

_"STOP IT!" _Quistis shrieked _"You're only making this worse!"_

            But none of them seemed willing to listen. Squall's bottled-up emotions found a crack in order to surface. It was almost too easy to pick a fight with Seifer. Both of them knew how to push each other's buttons ever since they laid eyes upon one another. It was a miracle they didn't fight like that every single day. On the other hand, Seifer never lost a chance to appear superior to the eyes of others, and beating Squall was always a good way to achieve this in his own eyes.

            The blond suddenly felt a pair of strong arms pulling him up, locking his arms behind his back, and at the same time felt the bodyweight of Squall shift above him. Irvine and Zell had intervened eventually, restraining Squall and Seifer respectively. However, it took the combined forces of Irvine, Selphie and Quistis to finally keep the first at bay. Seifer didn't need much persuading; he wasn't in a mood to fight today anyway… Glaring at Squall, he spat some extra blood that had collected in his mouth down to the marble floor.

_"**Chill**.__ **Both** of you." _Zell growled, still keeping a firm lock on Seifer's arms.

_"Let go." _Seifer mumbled, squirming _"I won't punch him."_

            Zell reluctantly removed his grip, keeping his hands close for the possibility of Seifer pulling a dirty move. The move never came. The blond just stood there, still staring at Squall, who was panting, trying to catch his breath.

_"Is it out of your system now?" _he asked.

            Squall nodded, licking the side of his bleeding lip. Irvine and the girls let go of him, helping him up to his feet. The Commander raked a hand through his hair, sighing.

_"Sorry, everyone…" _he mumbled, striding away towards the Dormitories.

* * *

_"I **don't** need a fucking nurse." _Seifer said, pulling his face away from the iodine-soaked piece of cotton shoved onto his left cheekbone.

_"Don't be such a baby." _Quistis snapped, pressing the piece of cotton against the wounded area.

            The blonde was kneeling down on Seifer's bed, where he lay, trying to push her away. Quistis pinned him down from the shoulders forcefully, continuing to take care of his minor cuts.

_"Stop squirming!" _she hissed _"You should be thankful I didn't let you off to Dr. Kadowaki… You'd be listening to her lecturing right about now…"_ Seifer scoffed.__

_"Look who's giving the doctor heat about lectures…" _he said sarcastically.__

            Pursing her lips, Quistis grabbed a near-by cotton piece soaked in alcohol, pressing it right upon a cut on Seifer's forehead.

_"HSSH!__ HYNEDAMMIT WOMAN!"_ Seifer hissed like a cat.

_"I'll never understand men…" _Quistis said, shaking her head in disbelief _"You take blow after blow pretending to not hurt **once**, but you act like babies when someone tends to your wounds. Women preferably…"_

_"Ha, fuckin' ha…" _Seifer mumbled _"Ow…" _he whined, as another cut got cleansed _"So… Did Squall decide who's going with him after Rinoa?"_ he asked, looking at her.

_"I don't know…" _Quistis said, shrugging _"You're going to Esthar, right?" _Seifer nodded _"Well of course… One of you needs to be on either team, and seeing as Squall is set on going after Rinoa… Anyway, talk to him and work upon it. But I've decided. I'm going for Rinoa."_

            Seifer pulled away, grabbing her wrist with one palm.

_"Why?" _he asked.

_"Because I want to."_Quistis replied _"Now let me-"_

_"Why can't you come to Esthar?" _Seifer asked.

_"Because I feel bad for not being able to help when the whole incident happened here, so I want to help **now**." _she said _"There. Satisfied?"_

_"No-one could have done anything. You know that…"_

_"Still, I want to go." _Quistis insisted.

_"Well… I'm not letting you." _Seifer retorted.

_"Why, exactly?"_Quistis asked, arching an eyebrow.

_"Cause I said so. I'm the Commander and I say who goes where." _Seifer replied, grinning smugly.

_"Who gave you that right?"_

_"No-one.__ I'm giving it to myself."_

_"Why are you acting like this?" _Quistis asked.

_"Because I don't want you to go!"_

_"Why?!"_

_"Because it might be dangerous."_ Seifer replied, frowning.

_"What, you think I can't handle it?" _Quistis asked, sounding offended. Seifer rolled his eyes.

_"Of **course** I think you can more than handle it, I just-"_

_"Then why don't you want me to go?!"_

_"Hynedammit, Quistis," _snapped Seifer _"Two people I knew died today! I **don't** want another name added on the fucking list!"_

_"Damn you, Seifer! Stop acting like you're my boyf-!" _Quistis began, but immediately ceased talking.

_"Go on, say it." _Seifer dared her _"Acting like I'm what?!" _Quistis frowned.

_"Forget it…" _she mumbled.

She turned her attention back to Seifer's wounds, rubbing them with ointment vigorously.

_"OW! Dammit, are you trying to kill me here?!" _Seifer hissed.

_"Is there **anywhere** you don't hurt?!" _Quistis yelled, exasperated.

_"Well, the fact that I've been getting battered every fucking minute for the past few weeks isn't helping, Trepe!" _Seifer snapped.

_"So what do you want me to do?!" _

_"Fuck, I dunno! I never asked you to play nurse for me anyway. Either figure a way to make it hurt less or get the hell outta here!" _

            Quistis took in a deep breath, trying to calm down. She glared at Seifer, locking his ferocious emerald gaze with her own. She let go of the ointment and cotton, resting them on the nightstand.

_"Does it hurt here?" _she asked, pressing hard with her finger near a wound on his left arm.

_"Fuck!" _Seifer hissed in pain _"What to you think?!"_

            Still maintaining her cool, Quistis leaned in, placing her lips on the cut. Seifer's eyes widened in surprise, as he felt a tingling sensation all over his skin from the tender kiss she placed upon his arm. Quistis drew back and looked at him.

_"Better?" _she asked softly. Seifer nodded _"Does it hurt anywhere else?"_

            Seifer swallowed with difficulty. He pointed at the cut on his forehead.

_"Here."_

            Quistis leaned in again, cupping his face in her palms, as she kissed the pain away from that wound as well. She withdrew once again and looked at him.

_"Umm…" _Seifer mumbled, pointing at his left cheekbone _"It hurts a bit here, too…"_

Smiling, Quistis leaned in, holding his other cheek with her palm, kissing his cheekbone. This time, she drew back less than a couple of inches. Seifer looked at her eyes.

_"And… here…" _he said, pointing at his lips.

            Seifer caressed her cheek with a crooked finger as she slowly leaned in. He closed his eyes and…

_"I'm still going with Squall."_

            Seifer's eyes snapped open. Quistis's lips were millimeters away from his. He pulled away, frowning.

_"Fine, go with Squall! Don't listen to a fucking word I say!" _he said, crossing his arms, looking away.

_"I'm not doing this to go against you! I'm doing this because I **want** to!" _Quistis retorted.

_"Don't let me stop you!" _Seifer spat back sarcastically.

_"Dammit, can't you respect my need to do this?!" _Quistis asked, exasperated.

_"Can't **you** respect that fact that I **don't want you to go**?!" _Seifer persevered, glaring at her.

_"This conversation is getting us nowhere." _Quistis said, raising her palms up in exasperation, getting off the bed.

_"Couldn't agree more!"_Seifer snarled, resting his back on the wall behind his bead, arms crossed, gaze away from her.

            Quistis literally threw everything back inside the bag she'd brought it in and stormed towards the door. It slammed behind her with a thud.

_"Fuck it!"_ Seifer hissed, kicking the wall with his right leg.

* * *

            Out in the Centra fields, the air smelled of wet terrain. The storm had long ago ceased, leaving the weather outside cold and damp. Thick fog encircled the rather large group of people that were gathered outside, formed in a big circle. White, thin candles held by everyone, provided light within the dimness of the environment. The grassy area upon which everyone stood was lean and smooth, something particularly rare in a land with formation similar to Centra's. The even grasslands were marred only by four heaps of freshly dug soil.

            Four marble plaques rose vertically above them.

            Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart stepped up to the small makeshift altar humbly. As they looked down to the crowd gathered before them, they met with a flood of sorrow stricken faces. In the worst cases of all, said faces were drowned in grief that no words could ever soothe. But a speech from both was required. It's part of the 'package' that arrives once one is hit by the abominable feeling of guilt. Especially if that someone one felt guilt over, was once a person close to them.

            Squall was the first to speak.

_"We are gathered here tonight to pay our respects to the souls of four people that not long ago, existed among us."_

            A long-dragged moan of mourning cut through the air like a knife, interrupting Squall's well-organized train of thought. It belonged to the mother of one of the deceased students. It seemed like it was all those people were capable of doing during a time life this; mourn. Squall and Seifer had expected accusations and well-deserved protests from these people, but they never came. And that was even worse. Once the first surge of charges had been dropped upon him and Seifer, these people didn't utter a single other word. They avoided the gazes of everyone continuously, and when they did, a myriad of emotions that ran along the lines of hatred and disdain literally poured from their eyes.

            Squall could have handled anger. He could have handled blame.

            But not this.

            He couldn't handle the 'silent treatment' he was receiving from those people. It added to his already oversized amount of guilt.

            Clearing his throat almost mutely, he went on.

_"All of them, regardless of Rank or position, were important assets of Garden, but most importantly, loved ones among our small community." _he said _"I ask all of you never to forget their courageous spirits, who remained committed to their duty till the end."_

            And with those words, he walked towards one of the graves, plunging the candle within the soil, among a flurry of bouquets, written dedications and poems. He slowly made his way back to his comrades standing in front of the altar, allowing Seifer to continue with his own eulogy for those lost.

            The tall blonde stepped forward, fiddling nervously with the candle in his hands.

_"I was fortunate enough to have met two of the people to whose memory this ceremony takes place." _he spoke _"I was never close to them, but from the short period of time I got to know them, I realized why they will be missed so greatly. Today, Garden didn't lose four great fighters only; it lost four people who made a difference to others' lives."_

            Seifer swallowed with difficulty, pausing for a split second. His gaze caught that of Sandra Keenan. The bloodshot, once sparkly brown, eyes of the girl accompanied the sad smile she gave him. Her pain was beyond tears by now. She had shed one too many before, not having anymore to shed right now.

_"We are once again living in dark times, marred by forces that bring destruction to their wake. We may have lost a battle today, but the War is far from over." _he went on _"Vengeance upon those sacrificed today, **will** be taken." _

            Finishing up with his brief speech, Seifer descended from the altar, following Squall's steps in resting his candle upon a different grave. He resumed his position near his comrades. As Cid Kramer, accompanied by his wife, walked upon the altar, Seifer felt Quistis's hand slither onto his own, encasing it. He looked down upon her, returning the weak smile that appeared upon her lips.

_"There is nothing I can say that hasn't already been said." _spoke Cid _"May the four souls that have returned to Hyne tonight rest in peace. Amen."_

Cid's words triggered the end of the short ceremony, allowing everyone to pay their respects to the four students, by placing their candles near the graves, then silently make their way back to Garden, stationed many feet away.

            Seifer, Squall and the others were the last to stay behind, along with Cid and Edea. The couple approached the six young fighters.

_"So…" _Cid spoke with a sigh _"What are your plans now?"_

_"We're splitting up in two teams." _Seifer replied.__

_"I will be leading the group pursuing Rinoa." _Squall added.__

_"And I'll take the rest to Esthar." _Seifer finished.__

_"Right…" _Cid said, nodding _"Have you decided on the teams yet?"_ he asked.__

_"We figure we'll need more forces in the first team." _replied Squall _"Quistis, Zell and Selphie are coming with me."_

_"So me and __Irvine__ are heading to Esthar." _added Seifer.__

_"May I… make a request?" _Edea spoke for the first time _"I wish to be taken to Esthar with you."_

_"Esthar?"_Irvine asked, arching an eyebrow _"Why, Matron?" _

_"I need to see Dr. Odine." _she replied _"I'm hoping to become rid of my… powers." _she said, bowing her head down _"There's no telling whether Ultimecia will possess me again or not."_

_"Are you sure he can help you, Matron?" _Selphie asked.__

_"I can only hope."_ replied the older woman.__

_"Don't worry 'bout it, Matron." _Zell intervened _"Dr. Odine is a genius. I'm sure he'll be able to help you out."_

_"Thank you, Zell." _Edea said, smiling to one of her children.__

_"Well, we'd better get going." _Quistis said _"We need to leave immediately to be able to catch up with Rinoa."_

_"We'll come pick you up at 8 o' clock sharp, Matron." _Seifer said _"We're leaving early in the morning."_

_"Very well.__ I shall see you again tomorrow morning then." _Edea replied _"As for the rest of you… May Hyne be with you, my children." _she said, touching Squall's cheek tenderly _"Be careful."_

_"We will. Don't worry." _Squall reassured her.__

            The older couple made their way towards the Orphanage, visible only by the Lighthouse shining amidst the fog. The rest, slowly retreated back to Garden. 

 

* * *

            Quistis walked down the Dormitory corridor, straightening the black shirt of her SeeD uniform. For weather conditions such as the present one, different uniforms where issued. Quistis inwardly thanked Hyne for not having to fight in her standard attire; she'd freeze to death before even getting close to Rinoa. Her boots, tucked inside the pair of black pants she was wearing, clattered as they made contact with the marble floor beneath her feet, the sound resonating among the walls surrounding her. With her backpack resting on her shoulders, she was making her way towards the third floor, from where they'd access the one under the roof-top, where the SeeD aircrafts were kept.

            She didn't notice the figure that was following her, stealthily hiding in the shadows of the dark hallway. Suddenly, a hand sprang out of nowhere and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around.

_"Don't go."_

            Quistis shut her eyes, sighing, as Seifer pulled her close to him from the sides of her black trench coat.

_"You know I have to." _she replied in a whisper.

_"No you don't…" _he insisted _"Come to Esthar."_

_"I **will**. With everyone, after we get Rinoa back." _Quistis replied.

            Knowing that nothing he could ever say would persuade her, Seifer sighed, accepting defeat.

_"Alright." _he said.

_"Thank you." _Quistis replied, resting her palms on top of his, which were still grasping her coat firmly.

            Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up, placing a feathery peck on his lips, which caught him by surprise. Seifer bit his lower lip as she drew back.

_"What was that for?" _he asked.

_"To ease the pain from the wound you have there…" _she replied, smiling _"I think I missed it before."_ Seifer chuckled.

_"Be careful, OK?" _he asked, caressing her cheek with his palm.

_"I will."_ she replied, kissing his inner palm.

            She withdrew from their embrace and continued her stride down the corridor, turning around to give him one last look before disappearing from sight.

            Seifer smiled at her weakly, wondering if he'd just allowed her to slip away from him and into her death…

* * *

            Quistis fluttered her eyelids open.

            Her sleepy gaze traveled among her surroundings. Selphie was sitting beside her, sleeping deeply. And so was Zell, who was seated right across them. However, the seat next to him was vacant. Creasing her forehead, Quistis got up, slipping her arms through the coat she'd used as a blanket so far.

            It didn't take long to find the person missing from his seat.

            Squall was standing near a window, staring at the repetitive pattern of the dark waters of the ocean below him. His concentration was broken by the sound of footsteps behind him. He didn't need to turn around. He'd become familiar with that perfume ages ago.

_"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" _he asked.

_"That's my line…" _Quistis said, grinning weakly as she approached him _"Why aren't you sleeping, Squall?"_

_"I'm not tired." _

_"You'd think I know you well enough by now to fall for an outright lie like that…" _she said, chuckling the slightest bit. Squall didn't speak for a few minutes.

_"Can't." _he replied eventually, as laconic as ever.

_"Squall…" _Quistis said, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder _"We all need you to be strong tomorrow. Especially Rinoa."_

            The sound of her name made him turn around to face Quistis. His normally severe gaze held none of its usual austereness. His steel blue eyes seemed almost… defeated.

            Almost.

            This was Squall Leonhart we were talking about…

_"I know it's really hard, but you need to get some sleep." _the blonde continued _"The pilot said it'd take a few hours before we approach her vessel. And we've all had a long, hard day. We all need some sleep in order to help our friend, don't we?"_

            With a sigh, the brown-haired Commander nodded.

_"Now come on," _she said _"Zell's in deep sleep by now and has finally stopped snoring."_

            Squall laughed the tiniest bit at that comment, making Quistis's hopeful smile wider.

_"I'll be there in a sec." _Squall said _"I'll just go check on the pilot."_

_"Alright."_Quistis said, nodding.__

            She wrapped the coat tighter around her, walking back towards her seat.

_"Quistis?"___

            The blonde turned around. Squall was still looking outside the window.

_"You're a good friend…"_

* * *

**A/N: **

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Quistis gets a second break into the 'real world'…_


	30. Chapter 29: To reality and back again

**A/N:** Hey guys.

I'm really sorry this update has taken so long, but I had to cope between exams, weariness and a slight writer's block concerning this chapter. I really couldn't think of anything to write for quite some time. Which is why this chapter is so small. But… In order to make up for this, the next one will be up in two days. It's a promise!

And once again (because it was asked), I'll say that the sequel to LCA will be updated **only** when I finish this fic. Sorry for the delay, but I really can't handle it and I wouldn't want it to be written poorly. Just show some patience please.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Rinoa's abrupt awakening has left four victims and many wounded in its wake. After a funeral is held in B-Garden, our heroes divide in two groups. One to pursue Rinoa and the other to find the entrance to the hidden city of __Esthar__.___

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                       A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                           Chapter 29: To reality and back again**

* * *

* * *

            Quistis felt her head spinning wildly and squirmed around onto the mattress she was laying. Opening her eyes bit by bit, she aided herself up by standing onto her elbows, looking around her.

            Ellone was sitting beside her on the bed, rubbing her sore temples in comfort. Quistis looked at her sister, blinking a couple of times.

- _"Why did you break the connection?" _she asked.

- _"It's getting late." _Ellone replied _"Seifer could be back any moment now."_

- _"What time is it?" _Quistis asked, raking a hand through her hair.

- _"Almost eight." _

- _"I see…" _Quistis said, yawning _"When will we continue?"_

- _"Tomorrow morning."_ Ellone replied _"And I believe we should finish up."_

- _"Alright… What are you going to do now?" _Quistis asked.

- _"I'll get back to my room and wait up for Ethan. Sorry I can't stay. We'll talk about everything tomorrow morning." _Ellone said _"You should get some rest. You look drained."_

- _"A bit…" _the blonde said, stretching her legs, looking down at her feet.

- _"What's on your mind?" _Ellone asked, as she got up, straightening her clothes.

- _"Nothing…" _Quistis replied, shrugging _"I've just begun to feel… different…" _she replied, grinning slightly.

- _"Good different, or bad different?" _Ellone asked.

            Quistis looked up at her, smiling.

- _"Definitely good."_

* * *

            Seifer walked down the Dormitory corridor, fiddling with his keycard between his fingers. He stopped outside his dormitory door, sliding his keycard through the receptor. Stepping inside the room, he was surprised to find Quistis fast asleep. She was hugging her pillow tightly, curled into a fetal position, sleeping peacefully.

            Smiling, he took off his jacket, throwing it haphazardly onto a nearby chair and silently removed his shoes. He approached the double bed, sitting cautiously next to her. He took a moment to watch her sleep, cocking his head to the side. He grabbed the hem of the blanket that had slipped down to her waist and lifted it up to cover her completely.

            The sudden feel of warmth made Quistis stir and slowly slide her eyelids open. Her face was lightened up by a warm, sleepy smile, as Seifer leaned down closer to her, raking a hand through her hair. Thinking impulsively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. The contact was neither fierce nor demanding; just deep and relaxed, executed in full, fluid movements. It seemed to her like the most natural thing to do at that moment and at the same time, the most soothing. Lips still locked, she pulled him closer to her on the bed and pulled away, nuzzling her face into his chest.

- _"Lie down next to me…" _she whispered sleepily.

            Although somewhat puzzled by her sudden change of behavior, Seifer did as he was told, resting his body close to hers.

- _"Hold me…"_

            More and more bewildered by each passing second, he complied once again, wrapping his arms around her.

- _"Kiss me…"_

            Lips upturning, he placed a soft peck on her forehead first, then moved lower onto her lips. Smiling in contentment, Quistis snuggled closer to him, wrapping her own arms around his waist, covering him up with the blanket as well.

- _"Let's just stay like this… For a while…"_

* * *

            Quistis squirmed around in bed before fluttering her eyelids open. The room was pitch dark, nothing like it had been when she'd closed her eyes before; she'd obviously fallen asleep. Moaning sleepily, she rolled over. She was dying for a sip of water, but the covers were too warm and she had no intention of losing that sense of heat in order to get up. She'd just try to get to sleep again. But…

            She opened her eyes again. The side of the bed next to was cold and empty. Sitting up on the bed, she cast a fleeting look around the room for any sign of Seifer. He was sitting by the window, smoldering cigarette between his fingers. The moonlight was falling onto his solemn face, as he exhaled the smoke, resting his head against the glass of the window. Upon hearing a ruffling sound coming from her direction, he turned around and faced her. He smiled.

- _"Why aren't you sleeping?" _Quistis asked him, tucking the covers underneath her armpits.

- _"Not that sleepy really…" _he replied, shrugging _"How come you woke up?"_

- _"Thirsty…" _Quistis replied, clearing her dry throat.

            Seifer got up, walking towards the cupboards above the desk. He took out a glass and walked to the bathroom, filling it up. He returned inside the room, walking to the bed. He sat down next to her, offering her the glass.

- _"Thanks…" _Quistis said smiling, taking the glass from his hands.

            She drank the content in one big gulp, resting the glass onto the nightstand.

- _"Want some more?" _Seifer asked gently, running a finger through her hair.

- _"No, I'm fine." _Quistis replied, shaking her head in negation.

- _"Alright… Go back to sleep." _he said, holding her head from the back, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

            He got up from the bed and made his way back towards the window, resuming his seat on the ledge. He put out the cigarette on the ashtray resting onto the edge, only to pick up his pack and light up another one. His bare chest and legs shivered at the cold touch of the wall and marble beneath his skin, but he quickly recovered. Quistis wondered how he didn't mind walking around inside the cold room dressed in only a pair of black boxers. She continued to watch him as he sighed deeply, exhaling more smoke and closing his eyes, resting his head against the wall behind him.

            It didn't take a tremendous amount of brains to figure out that something was ailing him.

            Quistis slowly crawled to the side of their bed, slipping out of the covers. She shuddered at the feeling of the chilly atmosphere around her, rubbing the bare part of her arms in warmth. Her feet made cold contact with the floor tiles as she got up, only to realize that she was dressed in a long, black T-shirt. Apparently, Seifer had taken the liberty of undressing her when she fell asleep. A tinge of embarrassment reached her cheeks, but it was quickly brushed away when she approached him. She sat down onto the wide ledge opposite him. Sensing her presence, Seifer opened his eyes again.

- _"What's wrong?" _she asked in genuine concern.

- _"Nothing…" _said Seifer shrugging _"Just… thinking…"_

- _"About what?" _Quistis asked, tucking the front locks of her loose hair behind her ears.

- _"Stuff…" _Seifer said, shrugging yet again.

            He just kept avoiding answering her question. What could be troubling him so deeply?

- _"Seifer…" _Quistis said, moving closer to him, touching his cheek with her palm _"What is it?"_

            The blond turned and looked at her. Quistis was known, among others, for being able to read through a person easily. But right now, she couldn't decipher what it was those jade eyes were hiding from her. Was it pain? Was it sorrow? Was it nostalgia? Was it fear? Was it a little bit of everything? As an answer to her unspoken questions, Seifer closed his eyes again, leaning into the touch of her hand, then turning to kiss her palm.

- _"I was just… remembering… things…" _he mumbled, looking at her, putting out another cigarette.

            Quistis noticed that the ashtray was a little something more than full by now. He'd obviously been awake for quite sometime now… Thinking.

.

- _"What kind of things?" _she asked.

- _"Just… what would have happened if…" _he trailed off, turning his gaze outside the window again.

- _"If…?" _Quistis urged him, cupping his palms within hers.

- _"If… If I'd chosen a different path…" _he muttered _"If I… If I'd followed **her**…"_

            'Her'… Quistis had a strong feeling that he was referring to Edea. And consequently Adel… And Ultimecia…   

- _"Do you regret not becoming her Knight?" _Quistis asked. 

- _"No." _Seifer said firmly.

            It was the first sentence he'd uttered that night about which Quistis was sure he was speaking in complete certainty.

- _"I just… wonder…" _he went on _"About what would have happened in that case."_

- _"Is this the first time you've thought about this?" _she asked.__

- _"No. I've thought about it many times…" _Seifer replied _"It first occurred to me a few years ago… When we escaped from the D-District prison."_

- _"Why then?" _

- _"Because __Irvine__ and Rinoa told us about the bombings at Trabia and Balamb Garden." _he replied _"It made me wonder if I'd have been the one to order them if I'd followed her."_

            Quistis sighed and moved even closer to him.

- _"And what did you think back then? Would you have done it?" _she asked him.

            Seifer rested his jaw against his bend knee and looked at her though pained eyes.

- _"I don't know…" _he replied in all honesty _"And that's what scares me… I'm afraid that… that… in order to live my dream, I'd…"_ he trailed off, voice wavering.

            Quistis rushed to his side before he could finish that sentence. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, resting his head against the crook of her neck, while she ran her fingers through his hair.

- _"I'm scared, Quistis…" _he whispered "_Scared of what I could have done… Scared of what I truly am…"_

* * *

            Quistis woke up the next morning, finding Seifer asleep, in the same position she'd remembered him before shutting her eyes. He was resting his head against her shoulder, arms wrapped around her waist, while she was cradling him with her arms around his shoulders. After his confessions last night, she's pleaded him to try and forget everything and get some sleep. They lay held together in their embrace for quite some time, before they finally both fell asleep. Quistis could have sworn she felt the moisture of a tear tricking down her neck at some point…

            Carefully slipping out of his grasp, she slid out of bed. She pulled the covers up to his shoulders, kissing him on the forehead tenderly. Seifer didn't stir.

            Quietly, Quistis made her way to the bathroom, rubbing her shoulders in comfort. Sleeping in the exact same rigid position all night didn't help relax her…

            She felt fully awake only when a refreshing handful of tap water wet her face. She wiped her face dry with a nearby towel and rested her palms against the sink, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed. Her gaze turned to the bathtub inside the roomy bathroom. She could **really** use a bath right about now… Not thinking about it twice, she walked over to the tap and turned it on, letting warm water fill the tub as she shut the drain.

            Minutes later, she was lying inside the foam-filled tub, allowing her sore muscles to relax. Cocking her head to the side, she closed her eyes and sighed. The load of information she had to be objected to the last couple of days was overwhelming. Another great mount of events had filled her head the night before, and she struggled to place them in an order inside her head. But what had struck her most, was not something Ellone had shown her; it was Seifer's confession the previous night. He seemed to be lost, just like her. Trying to figure out if the path he'd chosen was the right one. The right one for **him**. He obviously hadn't taken the time to consider his actions, to consider what felt right in his own heart. He hadn't allowed his choice sink in properly.  And she was sure she was doing the same. She could certainly feel a change of heart already, but she knew it would take a lot longer before she got accustomed to this new life and past. However, she had to admit…

            She **liked** this… 

            Smiling, she sank deeper into the warm water of the tub, letting out a moan of pleasure.

            It was that exact moment that the door opened wide, revealing a sleepy-looking Seifer. He gave her a lazy grin, before turning the tap on, throwing water on his face. Quistis allowed a smile to slip onto her lips, before realizing her position. Blushing, she frantically rearranged the bubbles in the tub, trying to cover what was necessary. Fortunately, Seifer was too preoccupied with brushing his teeth now, that he didn't even notice.

            Quistis spend one agonizingly long minute watching Seifer, before he yawned, stretched and turned around to face her.

- _"Morning…" _he finally said grinning, rubbing the back of his hair.

- _"Morning…" _Quistis choked out, trying to conceal her blush behind the white foam bubbles _"How are you feeling today?"_

- _"A lot better." _Seifer replied, smiling _"Thanks."_

- _"Don't mention it." _Quistis replied, grinning awkwardly.

            Seifer turned his attention back to the cabinet above the sink, taking out a razor and shaving foam. He shook the container, then removed the cap, spraying a generous amount of creamy foam onto his palm. Dividing it into both hands, he spread it onto the surface of his fuzzy cheeks. He washed his hands and grabbed the razor, beginning to run it down his skin.

- _"I don't get why you use to much foam…" _Quistis commented, making Seifer stop and turn around to face her.

- _"Huh?" _he asked.

- _"Well…" _she said, resting her chin and arms onto the edge of the bathtub _"You don't have that much facial hair. I don't get why you use so much foam."_

- _"I **do** have facial hair!" _Seifer snapped, sounding a tad annoyed.

            Quistis smiled inwardly. She's obviously touched a nerve there. Time for her favorite leisure activity… Annoying Seifer…

- _"I never said you didn't…" _she said in mock innocence, shrugging _"I just said you don't have that many… But you're blond. It's nothing to be ashamed for; all blonds don't have much hair…" _Seifer was beginning to narrow his eyes _"I mean… It's not **really** an indication of masculinity…" _

            Before she even had time to blink, a loud splash was heard and her face was sprayed by a considerable portion of warm water and foam. Rubbing her eyes open, she found Seifer plopped in the bathtub with her, holding his razor next to her neck in mock threat.

- _"Apologize." _he said, trying to keep a straight face, but Quistis could see the corners of his lips twitching.

- _"Aw, Seifer…"_ she cooed, trying to annoy him even more _"Baby, **I** still think you're manly enough-"_

- _"You little-!"_

            Seifer's voice drowned within Quistis's gales of laughter as he lunged upon her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her on her back against the tub, leaning in close to her, grinning. Quistis chuckled and smiled at him, before he locked her lips in a kiss full of longing and… shaving foam. Quistis eventually pulled away, her cheeks covered in foam now as well. She reached down and grabbed the razor that Seifer had tossed to the floor when he grabbed her. Snaking a hand behind his neck, she kept him still, while running the razor down his cheeks. When she was done, she rested the razor back onto the floor and grabbed both Seifer's freshly shaved cheeks in her palms, giving him a peck on the lips.

- _"You're going to be late…" _she said tenderly.

            Seifer made a noise between a whimper and a moan of protest.

- _"Come on… It's the last day before holidays…" _Quistis urged him. Seifer sighed.

- _"Fine…" _

            He gave her one last, deep kiss and got out of the tub, grabbing one of the big towels hanging from a hook on the wall. It was only then that Quistis realized she'd allowed him into the bathtub with her… It made her feel uneasy for a couple of seconds, but his warm smile before exiting the bathroom relaxed her a tremendous lot.

            She heard the door of the dorm open and close again a few minutes later…

* * *

            Quistis was lying onto the double bed of her room, clad in a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt, skimming through the pages of a book as her still wet hair fell on her shoulders. A knock on the door made her jump up eagerly, shutting the book and rushing towards the threshold. As expected, Ellone was waiting outside, for their last 'session' together

- _"Took a shower?" _Ellone asked while stepping inside, touching Quistis's wet blond locks.

- _"A bath…" _Quistis replied, unable to suppress a blush.

- _"Alone?" _Ellone asked meaningfully, as Quistis shut the door behind her.

- _"Throughout most of it… yes." _Quistis mumbled, grinning awkwardly.

            Ellone chuckled and took her usual place on the edge of the bed, waiting for Quistis to join her. The blonde soon crawled up on the bed, sitting cross-legged across her big sister.

- _"So, you're getting along with Seifer better now?" _Ellone asked eagerly. Quistis nodded.

- _"Much better." _she replied, smiling broadly.

- _"I'm glad I've been helping you, Quisty." _Ellone said, returning the smile _"It seems so long ago that you were lost, not knowing what to do. It's hard to believe it was only yesterday."_

- _"I know." _Quistis nodded _"It's a little difficult to realize that all these events have happened. But I'm sure I'll cope with it in due time. For now, I just need to know."_

- _"I see…" _Ellone said, smiling warmly _"Ready to go on?"_

- _"Ready."_

            Quistis resumed her usual position on the bed, taking in a deep breath to relax and closed her eyes. Soon, she sensed the familiar surge of slightly painful relaxation take over her, until she found herself facing the past once more…

* * *

**A/N: **I really liked that bathtub scene Hope you did too…

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

__

__

_Our heroes, now divided in two groups go on with their separate journeys._

_Will Seifer's fears about the team that pursues Rinoa prove accurate?_


	31. Chapter 30: Close Encounters of the Dead...

**A/N:** As promised, here's the next chapter

And to make up for the length of the previous one, this one's 4 times bigger :-p Biggest one so far…

Just one warning for this chapter, however. I've inserted some Latin again, only this time the one who helped wasn't **that** much of an expert. So there will most likely be many mistakes (mostly Syntax-wise). But still, I wanted to use them, cause it made the respective part sound cooler If there are any Latin experts among you reading this, I'd really appreciate it if you could e-mail me and help me out with this, so that I can come and correct it.

Enjoy!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After the second 'break' into the real world, Quistis and Ellone have their last 'session' together, soon drawing to the end of Elle's 'narration'… _

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                             A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                  Chapter 30: Close Encounters of the Deadly Kind **

* * *

* * *

            Squall stirred around in his seat, squinting as the bright, amber light of dawn fell upon his face, awakening him. He shifted his sleepy gaze around him, searching for his peers. He found all three seats next to and across him empty, while he was covered with a long, black trench coat. Slowly, he got up from his seat, stretching as he did so, soothing his tensed up muscles. He made his way towards the cockpit, wanting to ask the pilot whether he'd caught glimpse of the others. Once he stepped inside, he found them all gathered around the radar display screen.

            Zell was the first one to turn around from the sound of Squall's footsteps.

- _"Hey man…" _he said _"We're almost there."_

- _"Why didn't anyone wake me up?" _Squall asked, feeling a sting of annoyance.

- _"Quisty told us you needed the sleep."_ Selphie replied, grinning.

- _"Right…" _Squall said sternly, glaring at Quistis, who merely smiled _"So, do we have a lock on her?" _he asked the pilot.

- _"For over an hour, Commander Leonhart sir." _replied the pilot _"She just keeps heading southwest."_

- _"Where to?" _Squall asked bewildered _"There's nothing towards that direction."_

- _"Exactly what **we've** been wondering about…"_ Quistis said matter-of-factly.

            Squall turned his steel blue gaze upon the green light of the panel. Judging by their position, their mark should be the yellow dot moving towards the southwest corner of the global map, following an identical red one. That should be Rinoa's vessel. The two dots were quite close to each other by now and the yellow one kept getting steadily closer to the red one. Until…

- _"Hey, she stopped!" _Selphie squealed.

- _"I don't get it… There's noth-"_

            The words died on the pilot's mouth the moment he saw what lay before their very eyes.

            Right in the middle of nowhere, among innumerable tons of ocean water, a building stood upon an island that had barely more surface than the bottom of the building. Was there even an island beneath it? Or was it just a platform?

            Squall moved closer towards the glass surface of the cockpit, squinting. The sun had just begun to rise from the horizon, and the deep amber light fell upon the building, illuminating it little by little. As the aircraft drew closer, Squall could make out the SeeD vessel, now stationed near the facility. The place looked abandoned for years, wild flora cascading all around it, creeping through the cracks on the walls.

            Rinoa was nowhere to be seen.

- _"Lower us down." _said Squall.

* * *

_            Seifer opens his eyes and slowly gets up. He looks around him._

_            He's lying in the middle of an empty room. A white, empty room with no visible limits._

_            Just a vast, illuminated area of… nothing._

**_                                                                  "Funny… How sometimes memories flash before your very eyes rapidly, steadily… Just like a heartbeat…"_**

****

****

_            Seifer gets up to his feet._

_                                                                                                                                                'Who are you?'_

**_                                                         "Don't you know? I'm nothing… I'm everything… I'm everything you want me to be… I'm everything you cherish…"_**

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

_            Young little Seifer is running out of the sea towards the beach, droplets of water slithering down his thin form. _

_            He makes his way to Matron, who lies upon a chaise-long, slipping her sunglasses down to her nose. She smiles at him, then reaches down to her bag, retrieving a big, blue towel. Seifer jumps upon her lap, wetting her sun-lotioned skin._

_"Oh, Hyne!" she groans as Seifer plops upon her, and laughs "You're getting bigger and bigger every day! I won't be able to carry you around anymore, soon!"_

_            She wraps the towel around Seifer's tanned shoulders, rubbing his wet skin dry. She moves one tip onto his wet blond spikes, rubbing them vigorously, as Seifer squirms and giggles._

_                                                                                                                                                   'Stop it.'_

_"Am I your favorite boy?" he asks, grinning._

_            Edea laughs, caressing his cheek._

_"Answer me!" Seifer perseveres, beginning to tickle Edea._

_"Seifer, stop it!" Edea chokes out, between gales of laughter._

_"Not until you say it!" Seifer retorts, grinning mischievously. _

_"Alright, alright!"___

_                                                                                                                                                'I said, stop!'_

_            Seifer stops ticking her, and looks at his Matron eagerly. She rakes her fingers through his damp hair and smiles at him._

_"You're my favorite little boy." she says._

_"I'm not a **little** boy!" Seifer snaps, offended._

_"OK, OK… You're my favorite little man." Edea corrects herself, grinning "Better?"_

_            Seifer beams at her and hugs her from the waist, resting his scrawny little form upon her, closing his eyes. Edea wraps the towels tighter around him and holds him in her embrace, sighing, closing her eyes as well._

_                                                                                                                                                      'STOP!'_

**_                                                                              "You don't like that vision, Seifer? Isn't that what you crave for? Hmmm… What about this?"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**__

_            Seifer is walking down the streets of Balamb City, hand-in-hand with a girl._

_            Her hair is long and black, her eyes a misty shade of blue. _

_                                                                                                                                             'Don't… Stop…'_

_"It's so nice to be able to get away from classes every now and then…" Angelina says, sighing "This week has been a complete hell for me… Ungh! Don't you just **hate** Instructor Aki?!"_

_"I've got no problem with her…" Seifer replies, shrugging "But I get the faintest feeling she's got a problem with me…" he adds, grinning._

_"Don't they all?" Angelina says mockingly, grinning._

_            Seifer narrows his eyes at her, smirking. He lets go of her hand._

_"Think we're funny, don't we?" he asks, pretending to be mad, still grinning though._

_"You know it's true." Angelina retorts, sticking her tongue out at him._

_                                                                                                                                                'Please stop…'_

_            Seifer grabs her from the waist, carrying her towards the railing before them, overlooking the harbor. Angelina shrieks like a cat thrown in water, in between hystericals. Seifer places her back-first onto the railing and holds her from the wrists, threatening to let go._

_"Take it back or you're a goner." he says, smirking at her._

_"Seifer, no!"__ Angelina yells, torn between amusement and terror "Pull me back up!"_

_"Not until you take it back…" _

_"Seifer!"___

_"Say it!" _

_"OK, I'm sorry! I take it back!" Angelina screams._

_            Satisfied, Seifer pulls her back up onto her feet, chuckling. Clutching her racing heart, Angelina tries to catch her breath. She throws a glare at Seifer, who is now laughing like mad._

_"You jerk!" she hisses, lunging forward at him "I hate you!"_

_            She begins to punch Seifer on the chest with all her might, while he goes on laughing uncontrollably. This only infuriates Angelina ever more, who begins to punch ever harder. Seifer locks her into his embrace, still chuckling._

_"Let me go!" Angelina yells, trying to break free._

_"Ah, shaddap…" Seifer says mockingly, leaning down to her._

_            He muffles her cries with a kiss, tightening his grip on her. Angelina gradually begins to punch him less forcefully, until she gives up. Seifer pulls back grinning._

_"Jerk…" Angelina mumbles, pouting._

_                                                                                                                                                'CUT IT OUT!'_

**_                                                                                             "Don't like this either? Thought so… Let's keep looking then, shall we?"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

****

****

_            Rinoa is lying on her bed, underneath Seifer's weight, giggling uncontrollably. Seifer is on top of her, kissing her neck, slithering his hands all over her body._

_"I'm not sure about this…" she mumbles._

_            Seifer ceases all other activities and looks up at her._

_"Why, what's wrong?" he asks her._

_"My dad could be home any minute…" she says, stroking his cheek with a crooked finger._

_"Didn't you say he'd be home by 7 the earliest?" Seifer asks. Rinoa nods "It's still __5:30__." Seifer adds "We've got plenty of time…"_

_            He nuzzles his head back to the crook of her neck, biting her gently. Rinoa lets out a groan of pain and laughs again, wrapping her arms around his neck._

_                                                                                                                                                'End it. NOW.'_

_            Seifer is back at the white room. He's looking around him, livid, trying to spot the source of the voice. _

**_                                                         "Still not successful? Dear me… I guess we'll have to search more thoroughly… Let's see… Ahh… But of course…"_**

_            Seifer hears a pair of fingers snap and a blurry figure appears in the distance. The sound of shoes clattering against the floor is heard as the figure approaches him._

_            Slowly, it becomes more and more visible. A tall blonde is walking, towards him, clad in peach, azure eyes, full lips._

_                                                                                                                                                      'No.'_

_            The figure of Quistis stops in front of him, standing still, expressionless._

_                                                                                                                                                      'No!'_

_            He looks away._

**_                                                                                                                  "Not fond of her in this form? What about this?"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

****

****

_            Little Seifer is pulling one of the short, blonde pigtails of young Quistis, who shrieks and tries to hit him back._

**_                                                                                                                                                   "Or this?"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

****

****

_            Seifer is slouched into his seat, in the very back row of the classroom. Quistis finishes up writing on the board and turns around._

_"And this is the material you'll be tested upon next week." she says, adjusting her glasses "Study well. This is going to be a tough exam."_

_            A brunette throws her hand upon the air._

_"Yes, Miss Scholes?" Quistis says._

_"How much will this count for our final grade, Miss Trepe?" the girl asks._

_"Fifty percent."__ Quistis replies "So you can all understand how important this exam is. I expect all of you to be here, as this test can't be taken again. I will accept no excuses." Quistis says austerely "Unless you're down with grave illness, you will attend this exam. And in that case, I expect a note from Dr. Kadowaki."_

_            Another hand shoots up in the air. Quistis looks through her glasses, sighing._

_"Yes, Mr. Almasy?" she asks._

_"What do you mean by 'grave illness'?" the blond asks._

_"Anything life-threatening will do, Mr. Almasy." Quistis replies._

_"So… Exhaustion's out of the question?" Seifer asks, beginning to grin mischievously._

_"Exhaustion?"__ Quistis asks, arching a fair eyebrow "I don't suppose you'll be exhausting yourself over training or studying, will you Mr. Almasy?"_

_"I was actually thinking of extreme **sexual** exhaustion…" Seifer replies, smirking wider than ever._

_            The class roars with laughter, but Quistis remains calm. She's even smiling. When the laughter dies down eventually, Seifer is still smirking at her. Quistis turns serious._

_"Not an excuse, Mr. Almasy." she finally replies "You can always write with your other hand."  _

_            She turns back to face the board, as the class erupts into laughter once again, around a wide-eyed, crimson Seifer._

**_                                                                                                            "Hmm… No, that can't be it… Maybe it's _this_ form…"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

****

****

_            Quistis is standing out in the balcony next to him, the night breeze blowing her hair away._

_" So__… How's teaching going?" Seifer asks her._

_"Really well… I like working with children more…"_

_"Yeah… You don't run the risk of coming across another little shit like me that way, huh?" Seifer asks jokingly. Quistis chuckles._

_"Oh Seifer…" she says, looking at him "You weren't as bad as you think you were…"_

_"Really?"__ Seifer asks, leaning closer to her. Quistis looks deep into his eyes._

_"Really…" she whispers._

****

**_                                                                                 "No, no… I don't think we've quite got it yet… But I'm sure I won't be mistaken now…"_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                   FLASH_**

****

****

_            Quistis is lying within his embrace, her bare shoulders visible underneath the thin covers. Seifer is caressing her hair gently, and kisses her on the forehead. _

_            She wraps her arms round his neck and kisses him deeply._

_                                                                                                                                       'That's not a memory…'_

_            Seifer slides his palms down to her bare waist, as she moves on top of him, still kissing him._

_                                                                                                                                                'It's not real…'_

_            Quistis pulls away from him and smirks. She opens her mouth to speak._

**_                                                                                                                        "But this is what you crave for, isn't it?"_**__

_            The Seifer beneath her shifts uncomfortably, staring at her bewildered. Her voice…_

**_                                                                                                         "Isn't this what you want, Seifer? What you truly wish for?"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                             'You're NOT real!'_

_            He tries to push her away from him, but she won't budge. She rests her palms on each side of him, staring at him intently, smirking._

**_                                                                        "I _can_ be… I can be more real than any of those illusions you just saw. So what do you want, Seifer?"_**

****

****

_            Quistis's blonde hair instantly turns jet-black and elongates, the tips touching his bare arms. The blue irises in her eyes turn amber and her porcelain skin becomes more tanned. Edea speaks. _

**_                                                                                                                                    "What do you want, Seifer?"_**

****

****

_            Edea's black hair become slightly shorter and her amber eyes turn misty blue. The naked body above him becomes even more tanned. Angelina opens her mouth._

**_                                                                                                                              "Yes, Seifer… What do you want?"_**

****

_            Angelina's hair becomes even shorter, with pointier edges. Deep brown spreads within her eyes and her skin becomes paler and paler. Rinoa speaks next._

**_                                                                                                                                          "What do you want?"_**

****

****

_            Rinoa's hair elongate and become more fair by each passing second. Her eyes turn blue, her lips fuller. Quistis again._

**_                                                                                                                                    "What do you want, Seifer?"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                          'Get away from me!'_

****

****

_            Seifer squirms beneath Quistis and shoves her away, moving towards the wall behind the bed. He stares at Quistis wide-eyed, frightened. His breathing has become fast and heavy._

_            Quistis slowly gets up to her feet. The smirk is no longer plastered upon her face. She is yet again expressionless._

**_                                                                                                                                       "So many memories…"_**

****

****

_            This time, the voice doesn't come out of Quistis's lips._

**_                                                                                    "Weird, isn't it? How you just keep abandoning the ones that pass through your life…"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                                   'Shut up…'_

**_                                                      "First it's your loving Matron… Who fell into the nasty clutches of another Sorceress, all innocence drained from her…"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                             'I said. Shut up.'_

**_                                                                     "Then there's the girl you never really cared about until recently… That one ended up six feet under…"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                                   'Shut up!'_

**_                  "And now we've got the girl for whom you care… But not in 'that' way anymore, right? I do believe that's the second one to face the fate stored for your… mother."_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                                   'SHUT UP!'_

**_                                                                                                                        "There's just one left, isn't there? Her."_**

****

****

_            Seifer turns his gaze at Quistis. She is looking back blankly at him, beginning to step backwards._

**_                                                                                                         "You never learn, do you? You left her all alone as well…"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                                'No! Stop it!'_

_            Seifer shuts his eyes and covers his ears._

**_                                                                                          "Now all you have to do… is wait. Wait and see what happens to this one…"_**

****

****

_                                                                                                                                                      'NOOO!'_

_            Seifer's eyes shoot open, looking at the figure of Quistis slowly backtracking towards a shadow in the distance. He tries to get up, but to no avail. His limbs won't obey him._

_            And Quistis's bare form just keeps disappearing more and more into the darkness._

_                                                                                                                                                'Quistis, NO!!!'_

**_                                                                                                                                          "She's mine now!"_**

****

****

_            A loud, sharp shriek is heard from the darkness, covered by the shrill, laughing voice from above._

_                                                                                                                                             'QUISTIS!!!!!!!!!!'_

* * *

- _"QUISTIS!!!!!!!!!"_

            Seifer jolted up from bed, drenched in sweat, grabbing the first thing that came before his way; Irvine's shirt.

- _"Hey man! Snap out of it!" _Irvine yelled at him. He grabbed him from the arms, shaking him _"It was just a dream!"_

            Seifer was panting, eyes wide open, grip still firm on Irvine's clothes. The cowboy was staring at him bewildered, frightened. Seifer's breathing slowly began to return to normal, as his fists unclenched and released Irvine's shirt. Still somewhat panting, he shut his eyes, rubbing his face with his palms.

- _"You, OK?" _asked Irvine, resting a palm on Seifer's shoulder _"Sounded like one hell of a nightmare…"_

- _"I'm fine…" _Seifer croaked out, raking a hand through his damp hair.__

- _"Wanna talk about it?" _Irvine asked.__

- _"No." _Seifer replied firmly, pursing his lips.__

- _"Relax, dude…" _Irvine reassured him _"Quistis is gonna be fine. They all will."_

            Seifer turned and looked at Irvine, narrowing his eyes at him.

- _"How do you-?" _he began.__

- _"Know the dream was about her?" _Irvine finished for him, chuckling _"You only woke up screaming her name, you know…"_

            The blond turned away from him, pursing his lips, blushing slightly.

- _"How d'you get in here, anyway?" _Seifer asked, changing the subject.

- _"Still had that spare keycard Dr. Kadowaki gave us when you were hurt." _Irvine replied, digging into his pocket, retrieving it _"So that we could check upon you."_

- _"Gimme that."_ Seifer snapped, snatching the card from Irvine's grasp, shoving it onto the nightstand.

- _"OK, OK…" _Irvine said, raising both palms up in the air _"Chill. Just came here to see if anything had happened to you. You were late."_

- _"Late for what?" _Seifer asked, rubbing the back of his hair lazily.

            Irvine arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

- _"Oh, right…" _Seifer said, slapping his forehead _"How late was I?"_

- _"About fifteen minutes…" _Irvine replied _"Anyway, it's all cool. I'll just go and wait for you in the Cafeteria. Take a shower and everything. Looks like you need it."_

            Irvine shot Seifer a wink and left the room, closing the door behind him.

            Right on cue, Seifer fell hard back-first onto the mattress, covering his face in both palms. He sighed deeply.

**_            'Hyne… Let Quistis be alright… Otherwise I'll never forgive myself…'_**

* * *

            The SeeD aircraft slowly descended to the ground of the isolated island, allowing its passengers to disembark. Squall was the first one to step outside. The propellers of the aircraft blew the long, black trench coat the young Commander was wearing. His steel blue eyes scanned the area. He gave the pilot a firm nod, informing him to turn off the engines and stay put. The rest of his small team followed suit, looking around them in curiosity.

            Zell seemed to be particularly intrigued by their surroundings, screwing his facial features into a weird frown.

- _"Hey… I think I know where we are…" _he muttered, still looking around him, utterly bewildered.

- _"Where?" _Selphie asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"The __Deep__Sea__Research__Center__." _Zell replied.

- _"I've heard about this place…" _Quistis mumbled _"Yes, yes… They were supposed to perform all kinds of experiments here…"_

- _"Know-it-all-Zell to the rescue…" _Zell said grinning, striding over at Squall _"Wanna know more about this place?"_

            Squall threw Zell an irritated glare. He didn't have the time or the patience to hear a lecture about this place, but he had to admit that his curiosity was slowly getting the better of him…

- _"OK, fine…" _he said _"What's this place?"_

- _"Like Quistis said," _Zell began, a smug expression on his face _"It's a research center, where lots of experiments on GFs were made. The scientists here made research on GFs, trying to improve their abilities, understand their nature…They even tried to create new ones." _ 

- _"And did they succeed?" _Selphie asked eagerly.

- _"No-one knows for sure. But for some reason, they abandoned all research one day and disappeared, just like that." _Zell replied _"Never heard from 'em again."_

- _"What would Rinoa want in a place like that?" _asked Selphie.

- _"I think the question is," _Quistis corrected her _"What would **Ultimecia** want in a place like this."_

- _"You think Rinoa's possessed by that witch, then?" _Zell asked.

- _"Most likely." _Quistis replied, shrugging.

            Squall stared at Zell intently for a few seconds **_'I should give that guy _much_ more credit…'_**

- _"Well, we're about to find out what she's looking for, aren't we?" _ Squall said _"Let's go."_

            Looking at each other apprehensively, Quistis, Selphie and Zell followed Squall towards the entrance of the building.

            The brown-haired Commander stepped through the threshold of the entrance. The moment he did, a chilled breeze blew on his face from inside the building. More intrigued than ever, he walked further inside, within the semi-darkened room. Just like Zell had informed them, the place had obviously been abandoned for years. Even decades, possibly. The walls were barely holding up, ominous looking vegetation and vines crept up the floor and walls and giant spider webs cascaded all around the big, round room.

            With a gloved hand, Squall swept the first web away, hearing a long-dragged 'Ewww' escape Selphie's lips from behind him. Unfazed, he continued to walk cautiously forward, towards the source of the blurry red light in the 'heart' of the room. As more and more webs got brushed away, his vision became clearer. His eyes turned wide open when he made out the figure of a woman, sitting cross-legged in front of the source of light.

            Rinoa.

            Her head was lowered down, palms resting onto her legs, back turned to them, her body glowing red. Quistis immediately recognized the red aura that had been surrounding her only a few hours ago when she had risen from the Infirmary room.

            Squall boldly hastened his pace towards her. He was only a few feet away from her when he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shake violently. He heard Selphie's gasp drown within the deafening sound of thunder.

            Rinoa's eyes cracked open.

_                                                                                                                                                Id incepit…_

* * *

            Seifer made his way down the unusually quiet corridors of Balamb Garden. The Academy was still mourning for the loss of four of its members, so all classes had been temporarily postponed for another day, as a symbol of respect towards the deceased ones. The atmosphere in the Cafeteria was equally heavy and silent, nothing like the life-bursting facility it was during every other time of the year. No long, boisterous queues in front of the counters, no vigorous chatting among the tables. Nothing at all.

            A certain table in the far back of the room caught Seifer's attention. Irvine and Edea were sitting on it, having a mild conversation and sipping what was probably coffee. The tall bond approached them.

- _"Good morning, Seifer." _Edea said, smiling warmly at him.

- _"Good morning, Matron." _Seifer reciprocated, nodding.

- _"Wanna sit down for a cup of coffee?" _Irvine asked him.

- _"Nah thanks. I just had some in my dorm." _Seifer replied, always standing next to Edea.

- _"Well, we're just about done here. So… shall we?" _the Matron suggested.

            Irvine nodded and got up, picking up his long coat from the back of his chair. Seifer offered a hand to Edea, helping her up. The cowboy began stepping towards the exit and Seifer was about to follow suit, when he felt Edea's hand rest upon his shoulder, pulling him back. He turned around and looked at her questioningly.

- _"__Irvine__ tells me you had some… 'trouble' with sleeping?" _she asked tentatively.

            The blond shot a venomous glare at Irvine, who merely raised his glance upon the ceiling, faking nonchalance. Seifer sighed, turning back to Edea.

- _"It was nothing…" _he said, shrugging _"Just a dream. That's all."_

- _"I know. I just don't want you to worry." _the Matron replied, rubbing his arm in comfort.__

            Seifer gave her a weak smile.

- _"I know. Let's go."_

* * *

- _"Rinoa…?!" _

            Squall's voice choked within the loud noise of the ground beneath them shaking and thunderbolts roaring.

- _"RINOA!"_ he called again, louder.

Staggering, he tried to make his way towards her, careful of each step he took. Behind him, his comrades had already taken out their weapons; there was definitely something wrong going on. They could all feel danger seeping deep into their core alerting all their senses. The young Commander was drawing closer to Rinoa with each passing second. He extended a gloved palm, touching her shoulder when-

**                                                                                                                                                   BANG!**

            Squall felt his heart stop beating momentarily, as with outlandish weightlessness, his body flew many feet behind, landing him onto the arms of his friends. All SeeDs fell to the ground, knocked back by the force of the wall-like shield that was protecting Rinoa. Squall winced and groaned, smelling the scent of burnt fabric right under his nose; the tip of his glove had burnt away. Opening his eyes, he watched Rinoa's form slowly ascend to full height.

            The girl turned around, presenting a sight bewildering to everyone who was laying eyes upon her. With the roaring sound of another thunder, the red light source flickered, rendering the room in full darkness for a few split seconds. During that short time, Squall could easily make out the only light inside the room; Rinoa's eyes. Red and glowing like gems, but all warmth had been drained from them, replaced by steel coldness. She took the first step forward, as a strong draft of wind soared within the room, blowing her hair and clothes away. A Machiavellian grin was placed upon her lips and with every step she took, the ground shook even more wildly, echoing piercingly into everyone's eardrums.

            All four SeeDs covered their ears, hissing from the shrill pain the sound was causing them. Squall tried to open his watering eyes. His fleeting look caught Zell covering both girls who were screaming in pain, while he was trying his best not to shout out. Squall's head fell back onto the floor and his teary gaze followed Rinoa as she exited the room. Releasing one arm free, he tried to crawl his way outside, following her, feeling the walls of his head throbbing like there was no tomorrow.

            His mind was splitting into a million pieces, he could feel it, but he had to go on, he had to catch up with her. He could hear nothing but ringing anymore within his struggle. He could sense the morning light falling onto his face now; he was inching his way outside. Tears streaming down his face from the pain, he made another attempt to open his bloodshot, stinging eyes.

            And then he saw her.

            She was standing on the very edge of a boulder, arms extended. The skies darkened with ominous grey clouds, thunders cracking, waves beginning to form on the so far calm surface of the ocean.

            She opened her mouth.

_                                                                                                                           A tui cineris resurge, intra quo tegerent tu_

_                                                                                                                                    oh, ampla Lunaris Pandora,_

_                                                                                                                                             ad luna loqueri._

            Her words were loud and echoing, her voice bizarre, distorted and nothing like her own. But her chanting seemed to have an impact on the surrounding environment. A fierce wind encircled her, the waves grew taller and stronger, the thunders lightened up the sky and Squall would bet they'd be visible from thousands of miles away.

_                                                                                                                              Quia nostra dominatrix inibi iacet_

_                                                                                                                                    as finis de infinitas adligata._

_                                                                                                                                             At denuo emergiet._

            Feeling his body grow weaker and weaker, Squall continued to watch the shocking sight of nature obeying the young girl, with such overwhelming results, unable to do the slightest thing… A whirlpool was now beginning to form within the very middle of the ocean.

_                                                                                                            Resurge, ampla Pandora! Unum praeclarus __Phoenix__ similis!_

_                                                                                                                                                Et iterum dice!_

            Rinoa's voice was now booming, her face screwed into a twisted, triumphant smirk, her eyes glowing brighter than ever. The whirlpool grew wider and wider.

_                                                                                                                                                   Tuus vox_

_                                                                                                                        illuc quo lacrimas effunduntur circumsonabit_

_                                                                                                                        et nostra dominatrix nos copulare excitabit!_

            Rinoa began to raise her arms higher and Squall watched through half-open eyes in horrified fascination, as an enormous dark object began to rise from the whirlpool, commanded by the girl's steadily rising arms.

_                                                                                                                           Dea lunaris iterum nam nos lacrimabit_

_                                                                                                                     et eius copiae caeli invadient, cum imber russus!_

            The seas almost split open as the object rose higher into the air, darkening the sky –if it was possible- even more. Thin, amber formations were glowing vigorously through its entirety, like serpents creeping around its core. The towering structure was now fully erect in mid-air.

_                                                                                                                                       Resurge, ampla Pandora!_

_                                                                                                                                       Resurge, et iterum dice!_

            And with those words, the structure began to move away into the distance in steady speed. Squall felt the soreness within his head slowly become nothing but a dull, numb pain. His eyes were able to once again open up fully. The clouds retreated almost magically, granting the sky its normal clearness once again. All thunders were swept back as well, until all that was left was a ghostly silence and calmness in the atmosphere.

            Squall tried to stand on his knees, carefully aiding his aching body up. Before him, Rinoa had covered her face in her palms and was staggering. The Commander sprang up to his feet and dashed towards her, as he saw her form slowly crumble to the ground.

            He caught her frail body into his arms, brushing away the hair from her face tenderly. His worried gaze fell upon her paler than ever face. She was breathing fast, as if hyperventilating. Squall's steel blue eyes traveled upon her weary face with utmost concern. Rinoa's eyelids fluttered open; her eyes were back to normal. Squall's facial features became mild and a weak smile crossed his lips as he caressed her hair with one hand, holding her safely with the other. Rinoa coughed and trembled in his embrace raising one week palm.

- _"Squall…" _she croaked out.

            Her fingers caressed his cheek gently, before her eyes shut once again and her body fell limp into his arms. Squall's eyes widened.

- _"Rinoa?! RINOA!" _he shouted in desperation.

            Not losing a single second, he lowered her down to the ground and rested his ear upon her chest, frantically searching for a heartbeat. He grabbed her wrist, pressing two fingers on the vein visible above her skin **_'Come on… Come on….' _**he thought to himself, panting. He felt slight pressure underneath his fingers and he sighed in relief. He took out one of his gloves and touched her palms and forehead. Cold. Raking a hand through his hair, he tried to catch his breath. She had fallen into a coma again. She had only been awakened to serve as Ultimecia's pawn and release that… that… thing.

            Pulling his glove back on, he stood on his knees, running his fingers through Rinoa's hair, when he realized something.

            He was alone.

            His eyes widened once more **_'Oh Hyne! The others! They never left the room!' _**His head jerked backwards, to the entrance of the building. Cursing under his breath, he scooped Rinoa up into his arms and made a run towards the aircraft. The pilot was still inside the cockpit, panting, wiping his sweaty forehead. Upon seeing Squall, his face lightened up in relief. He ran to the back, opening the hangar door for Squall.

- _"Sir!" _he exclaimed, as Squall rushed inside _"What happened?! What did she do?!"_

- _"There's no time to discuss that now." _Squall said firmly, thrusting Rinoa's body into the man's arms _"Take care of her. I have to go see what happened to the others."_

            The pilot nodded shakily, carrying Rinoa to the seats in the back of the aircraft, as Squall rushed outside again. 

* * *

            Seifer wiped his sweaty forehead dry, continuing to walk along the FH train rails. The noon sun rays were falling hot on his face and shoulders, making this already straining task almost unbearable. Behind him, Irvine had taken out his coat which now hung haphazardly from his right shoulder, while fanning his face with his hat. Edea, who was walking in front of Seifer, was also dressed quite heavily for the occasion, but kept pacing patiently.

- _"OK… Hold it!" _Irvine wheezed from behind.

            Seifer and Edea stopped in their tracks and turned around to face him.

- _"Let's just stop for a couple of secs for a breather, eh?" _the cowboy suggested, promptly plopping down to the ground, near the edge of the rails.

            Seifer nodded and joined him, soon followed by Edea. The latter sat down cross-legged, sighing as she looked at the ocean spreading wide before her. Seifer remained silent. His thoughts immediately traveled to the other group. Not that he'd been thinking about anything else from the moment he left his dorm, but the frequent conversations during their small journey distracted him from time to time. If it had been any other mission, he'd have nothing to be worried about. But after facing the horror of what that Sorceress could do, even 'trapped' inside Rinoa's body, he couldn't get the slightest moment of peace **_'I should have never let Quistis go…' _**he thought, letting out a long-dragged sigh.

            His mind was about to go wandering to her, when a hard slap on his back almost made him fall off the bridge and into the sea many a feet below. Wobbling back in place, he shot a murderous glare at Irvine who'd slapped him and who was now already babbling and not paying any attention to Seifer.

- _"Worried, huh? Yeah, I feel ya… I'm worried about my Selph, too. But y'know what? I'm certain they'll have caught up with Rinoa already and are heading back right as we speak. I bet our mission'll turn out to be worse than theirs." _He chuckled, an action in which Seifer didn't join in _"I mean, really now! Why couldn't we have taken the aircraft all the way down the rails, instead of walkin' all the way down there in the damned hot sun an' all?"_

            Edea had turned her attention to both young men by now and was trying to conceal a chuckle upon seeing Seifer's expression.

- _"I'm beginning to see why you and Selphie are so matching for each other…" _the blond said.

- _"Really?" _Irvine beamed _"Why?"_

- _"You both share the same-" _Edea nudged him in the ribs _"…Optimism." _Seifer said eventually, wincing slightly.

- _"Yeah, I guess so…" _Irvine said, grinning broadly.

- _"Can we get going now?" _Seifer said _"The sun's giving me a damned headache."_

- _"Yeah, let's keep going." _Irvine agreed, getting up on his feet.

            He helped Edea up and led the way, closely followed by the blond.

            Seifer wasn't aware how long they'd been walking, before he sensed the sun begin to hide behind the mountains and a stunning light hit his eyes. Squinting, he covered his eyes with one palm, moving forward in careful steps. He stopped on his tracks at the upper edge of a slope, staring wide-eyed at the canyon before him. 

            A vast area of land that ended beyond eye-reach lay in front of them, sparkling white. He realized now why such a strong ray of light had reached his eyes. The sun rays were being reflected upon the milky white surface of the valley. Fortunately, the sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains surrounding them by now and the light was becoming weaker and easier to get accustomed to. Raking a hand through his fair hair, Seifer let out a low whistle.

- _"What the hell is that?" _he wondered out loud.

- _"The __Great Salt Lake__." _Edea replied, stepping forward.

- _"__Lake__?" _Seifer asked incredulously; there wasn't the slightest drop of water visible in the canyon.

- _"It was drained many years ago." _Edea replied _"Only the salt is left, lingering on the bottom of the __Lake__."_

- _"Yeah, I've heard about it…" _Irvine piped in _"Esthar's supposed to be hidden right beyond it."_

            Seifer nodded, rubbing his chin.

- _"Well, we don't have much choice, do we?" _he said _"Let's cross it."_

            He proceeded in beginning to climb down the slope, moving sideways, trying to keep his balance. He extended one arm for Edea to hold and the two of them began their descent. Irvine followed right behind them, staying close to Edea, making sure she wouldn't slip. Soon enough, the small slope reached an end and the trio landed onto the bottom of what used to be the Great Salt Lake. Leading the small group, Seifer looked around him in alert; the area was unfamiliar to all three of them, so they had no idea of the danger they might have to come across. After all, Esthar had a very good, although mysterious, reason for wanting to remain hidden from the public eye, and a hostile territory situated around the mythical city would be a great way to conceal it.

            Drawing out Hyperion, the blond's jade eyes scanned the surroundings. Edea looked apprehensive.

- _"Do you think we might encounter hostility?" _she asked.

- _"It's possible…" _Irvine replied, drawing out his shotgun as well _"Better be prepared either way."_

- _"Just stay close to us and you'll be safe, Matron." _Seifer told her reassuringly.

            Slightly less anxious, Edea kept her pace, remaining situated between her two 'bodyguards'. She smiled inwardly. Her two boys had grown into strong men, ready to protect her at all cost. What more could a mother ever ask for?

            Seifer kept his gunblade in battle position, using his sight and hearing to the fullest. His well-trained senses warned him something wasn't quite right; the atmosphere was way too calm, stagnant. If there was one thing life and military training had taught him, it was to keep constant vigilance. Not all situations were what they appeared to be… And the silence just kept getting heavier… The sound of their footsteps was echoing among the valley, reflected upon the myriads of salt crystals formed onto the grounds, creating a soothing, music-like sound that made Seifer's body calm down an unnatural amount.

            They had been walking for well over an hour across the Lake by now and had encountered no enemies. Not even one. Which was quite alarming, considering Gaia was a world infested with monsters, quite harmless and not, within almost every inch of uninhabited land. Seifer had the disturbing feeling that the place was haunted.

- _"Matron?" _he whispered, so as not to draw any possible hostility near them.

- _"Yes?"_

- _"Umm… What happened to the __Salt__Lake__?" _Seifer asked.

- _"What do you mean?" _Edea asked, puzzled.

- _"I mean: What happened and it became what it is now. You said it was drained years ago. Why?" _Seifer asked again.

- _"Oh… I believe it was a measure the Estharian government took when the city was first built." _she replied _"For more safety."_

- _"Safety?"_ Seifer asked, a queasy feeling creeping up his stomach.

- _"Yes. You see, when the __Lake__ was intact, people from the rest of the world could cross it more easily." _

- _"Why, exactly?" _Irvine piped in, suddenly interested in the conversation.

- _"Oh, it's nothing but a silly legend…"_ Edea said, grinning.

            Seifer turned around and shared an uneasy glance with Irvine.

- _"Care to indulge us?" _Seifer asked, almost afraid of what her answer was going to be.

- _"Well, there was rumored to be an underwater cavern that was said to be the home of Abadon, a monster." _Edea replied calmly _"Esthar used that urban legend to scare away unwelcome visitors, since now that the __Lake__ is drained, the monster is at 'loose'." _she added, making quotation marks with her fingers _"When the Lake was full of water, Abadon didn't harm any possible passengers with boats."_

- _"Really?" _Irvine croaked out _"And what, pray tell, is this 'Abadon' supposed to be?"_

- _"Wouldn't know…" _Edea replied shrugging _"As I said, it's nothing but a silly legend."_

- _"Translation: we're screwed." _Seifer said, turning his attention to his front once again.

- _"Language!" _Edea scolded _"Don't tell me you actually believe this?"_

            None of the young men replied however.

            Seifer remember only too well during their travels across the globe with the mobile Garden, when they came across 'The Island Closest to Hell'. He distinctly remembered how it was him who laughed at the warnings of many students and colleagues that the island was cursed, but he thought it was nothing but another 'urban legend' as Edea had put it, to drive away any possible visitors. He was exceptionally thrilled to find the island to be a great source of strong magic spells that were almost impossible to find elsewhere, deducing that this was the reason for all the rumors about dangerous monsters lurking around. It was among his excitement in finding a concentrated source of Auras, a 'Draw Point' as it was technically called because one could draw magic from it, when a loud roar made cold sweat run down his spine. Needless to say that when he skedaddled his way back to Garden, the tip of his trench coat having caught fire by the deadly breath of a Hexadragon, Quistis was the first one to laugh out loud in his face, as she was one of the people who'd warned him. His coat still bore the burn mark of that 'unfortunate' encounter, but Seifer refused to throw it away. He claimed that it was 'the mark of a deadly battle' that he wanted to remember. Needless to say -once more- that Quistis yet again laughed in his face, saying that 'a wild run to save his skin could hardly be considered as a deadly battle'.

            All joking aside, Seifer felt more worried with every step by the mere memory of another legend turning out to be true, and he was quite certain that a similar -if not the exact same- thought had crossed Irvine's mind as well. His booted foot was about to make contact with the ground in another step when the sound of 'something' almost shattering the ground was heard from the distance. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes locked onto this boot that had now touched the ground. That could **not** have been the sound of his own footstep.

            More similar sounds followed the previous one, seemingly getting closer and closer by each passing second. As 'it' got nearer, the ground shook more and more vigorously, the salt crystals' movement tuned in with the sound from afar. The –by now- familiar relaxing 'music' of the vibrating crystals grew louder, making Seifer's brain cells relax…

            Relax…

            Relax…

            **_'NO!' _**his mind shouted back at him **_'Stay alert!' _**he thought, snapping his eyes wide open, trying to ignore the soothing resonance of the crystals.

            Suddenly, the sound of footsteps stopped and all that was left, was the buzzing of the salt crystals slowly returning to stillness. Seifer heard a drop of sweat trickle down his forehead and fall onto the ground among the heated silence. He could hear the air enter his lungs and exit again in heavy breaths, a sound deafening among the eerie peace surrounding them.

            Right then, a cracking noise made all jump up startled, as a gargantuan bony arm's fingers appeared from behind an enormous boulder, only to aid the haunting form of a… beast, appear in front of them.

            The skeletal creature stood before them in full height, two great mastodons protruding from its skull-like face, endlessly long limbs hanging from a bare pelvis and shoulders.

            Seifer's jade eyes slowly rolled from the ground, cascading over a bony form of thirty feet in height, stopping wide at the tip of the monster's skull. Resisting the urge to utter _'Abadon, I presume?',_ he sucked in a breath.

- _"Holy shit…" _he choked out.

            Edea didn't scold him this time; the exact same phrase had run through her head that very moment as well… 

* * *

            Squall reached the entrance of the abandoned building, panting. Stepping inside, he found the room rendered into a state of complete darkness. The red light source he'd noticed in the middle of the room before, was almost extinguished, and was flickering wildly by now, doing nothing to improve the lighting inside, however. Taking a step inside, Squall drew out his newest and most prized possession, the Lionheart gunblade. The very best model of revolver gunblades, with an azure indestructible blade of pure Adamantine, that was said to glow when danger was near **_'Time to test that theory…' _**Squall thought. As he'd feared, the blade began to glow furiously bright when he removed it from its case. Squall squinted and swung the gunblade around like a torch. He sucked in a swear and bit his lip when he took another step forward, that if taken any further, would have resulted in him slipping down the chasm lying before him. He took a step backwards for safety, creasing his forehead **_'Chasm? The ground was intact only a few minutes ago; I'm sure of it…' _**he thought.

            The sound of hushed whispering coming from his right made him turn to the side abruptly, pointing his gunblade towards that direction. He could make out the shape of three human frames.

- _"Zell? Quistis? Selphie?" _he whispered.

- _"Squall!" _sounded Selphie's relieved voice _"Is that you?!"_

- _"Yeah. Are you all OK?" _he asked, squinting harder to make out their whereabouts.

- _"We're fine." _Quistis replied this time _"But the ground collapsed. What happened?"_

- _"We'll talk about that later." _Squall said _"For now, we need to get the hell out of here."_

- _"No can do for the time being, dude."_ Zell this time… _"There's not much we can do from here. We're trapped."_

- _"Trapped?" _Squall asked, frowning.

- _"The ground collapsed." _Quistis repeated _"We can't move very far."_

- _"Hold on." _Squall said _"I'll go get some flares from the aircraft."_

- _"Hurry!" _Selphie hissed.

The young Commander made his way back to the aircraft hastily. The hangar door was still ajar, and Squall met with the pilot looking after Rinoa upon entering.

- _"Where are the others, Commander Leonhart sir?" _the man asked _"Did you find them?"_

- _"Yeah, but I need to get them out…" _Squall said absent-mindedly, looking around the hangar.

- _"Can I help you?" _the pilot asked.

- _"I'm looking for flares…"_ Squall mumbled, still searching.

            The pilot trotted down to the cockpit and returned shortly after, a few flares tucked underneath his armpits and in his cupped palms. Squall grabbed them, making a move to run back outside.

- _"Sir, do you need my help?" _the pilot offered.

- _"No. You stay here and look after Rinoa." _Squall replied, firmly, casting a fleeting glance over at her, lying unconscious onto the seats in the back.

            He let out a hollow sigh and exited the aircraft yet again, sprinting back to the abandoned building. Upon hearing his footsteps, Zell called him.

- _"Hey man… Figured out anything?" _he asked.

- _"Almost…" _Squall muttered.

            He lit up one of the flares and raised it up high, scanning the surrounding area. Apparently, the vibrations from Rinoa's wake had damaged the room severely. Great portions of ground had sunk down into oblivion, creating deep chasms, like the one he'd narrowly missed only a couple of minutes ago. Hesitating a bit, Squall threw the flare down the gorge before him, studying it as it flew down and into the abyss. He could barely make out a tiny flicker of light when the flare reached ground. Some feet away from him, he heard someone swallow audibly. Lighting up another flare, Squall turned towards the direction of his comrades.

- _"I'm throwing you one of the flares. Watch out." _he warned, tossing it with what he hoped was enough or not exceeding force.

            A ray of light followed the trajectory of the flare as it flew in mid-air, only to be caught by Selphie. Squall winced inwardly by the sight now visible before him. All three of his friends seemed to bear deep scratches and were covered in soil from head to toe. Obviously dust from the collapsing ground. But the worst was their position. His peers were standing on a chunk of ground that had miraculously remained intact, but they were separated from him a fair amount of distance. At least thirteen to fourteen feet. There was no way they could jump across it…

            Squall threw them a few more flares which they placed onto the ground surrounding them, illuminating the room a fair amount. Squall exhaled audibly, raking a hand through his brown hair. The easy part was over. Now he had to figure a way to get them out of there…

            No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, than a low, roaring sound began to emit from the red light source. All four heads immediately turned to the tall pillar still standing in the middle of the room, the glass light source yet undamaged on top. The crimson light began to get brighter and brighter, the buzzing, roaring sound louder and louder… The glass seemed to begin pulsating robustly before shattering into thousands of tiny glass shards.

            Squall fell onto the ground, covering his face in protection. He felt the room become incredibly lit up all of a sudden. Carefully, he raised his covered head, glancing up to the ceiling; a great part of it had been destroyed by the shattering glass. Instinctively, he turned his gaze over at his friends in concern. They'd been fast enough to protect their faces as well, but all of them shared the palest, most terrified expression Squall had ever met with. It didn't take him long to realize what was the source of terror…

            Right where the red light source had been, stood… No. **Floated**, a creature… A creature wrapped in a grey cocoon, hovering in mid-air. It was within seconds that Squall realized that what he'd perceived as a cocoon, were in fact a pair of wings, wrapped around the creature, now uncoiling slowly. In one sharp movement, the large, scaly wings flew open, revealing a dragon-like monster which showed no traces of a peaceful mood. Stretching its wings and body, the beast let out a shrill roar, unfolding its body to full size.

            Squall's eyes widened; he'd heard of this creature before… He was certain… Among numerous lectures he'd received within his training for SeeD, this beast stood out in mind. Only it was no plain monster. The description perfectly fit that of a Guardian Force. The Guardian Force called…

- _"Bahamut…" _Quistis choked out.

            The Guardian Force lost no time with acquaintances, and immediately lunged forward to attack Zell, Selphie and Quistis who were standing closer. Zell and Selphie, between which Bahamut was heading, rolled out of the way of its claws. The beast swept back, before lunging forward once again. Quistis rushed to the edge of the boulder they'd been standing on, extending her arm.

- _"STOP!" _she yelled.

            The spell flew right from the tips of her fingers, striking Bahamut on the chest. The young Instructor was aware that an enemy of the GF's magnitude wouldn't be affected greatly by such a simple spell, but it brought the result she'd hoped for. The dragon stopped in mid-air for a split second, before resuming its course in what looked like real-life slow-motion.

            Squall knew this was probably the one good chance he'd have to help his friends before it was too late. Looking around him frantically, while trying to decide what to do, his eyes stopped onto the wall behind him. A thick, leafy vine was crawling up the entire wall, emerging from a small crack on the ground upon which he was standing. Thinking quickly, Squall drew out Lionheart, crushing it against the wall. The thick vine snapped and before it coiled away, the Commander grabbed the freshly cut tip, suspending his gunblade from his belt. He mounted the vine, kicking the ground for extra force.

            With one swing, he flew across the room and onto the chunk of ground his friends had been trapped upon. Hopping down, he grabbed the vine with one hand, thrusting it to Zell's chest.

- _"Selphie, hold Zell and swing back to the entrance like I did. Then toss it back for me and Quistis." _he said, panting _"Quick!"_ 

            Zell nodded determinedly and grabbed the vine firmly. Selphie snaked her arms around his neck and gave him the 'OK' to go. They were hovering in mid-air when the Stop spell wore off on Bahamut and the creature regained full speed.

- _"Quistis, look out!"_

            Squall pushed the blonde away just in time, before he dodged the GF's attack. Bahamut, confused by the abrupt change of speed, lost control and bumped hard on the wall behind them, crushing it down. Large hunks of stone crumbled and found their way down towards Quistis and Squall, as Bahamut swept backwards again. Squall turned around just in time to see the vine Zell and Selphie were upon snap as the wall collapsed. Luckily, they both landed safely near the entrance of the building. Selphie quickly got up, looking towards their direction worriedly.

- _"Squall, Quisty! Are you OK?!"_

- _"GO!" _Squall yelled at her _"Go and tell the pilot to take off! We'll be there!"_

            He watched both of them hesitate, looking at each other for reassurance.

- _"THIS IS AN ORDER FROM YOUR COMMANDER, DAMMIT! **NOW GO!**" _Squall yelled furiously.

            He caught glimpse of both of them running outside before turning his attention back to Bahamut, who was screeching from the wound a rogue boulder had caused to it. They had gained few precious minutes and had to figure out their next move quickly, or they'd be dead in a matter of seconds. Squall glanced around him frantically. Quistis… Where was Quistis?!

- _"Quistis?!" _he gasped in pain; the collapsing wall had caused him no small amount of damage either… _"QUISTIS! Oh no… Oh, Hyne no…"_

            Desperately, he began moving around chunks of fallen debris, casting fleeting looks at Bahamut who was recovering quite rapidly. It was then that he noticed a soil-covered Quistis hunched down, back arching up and down fast. A heavy breathing sound filled his ears as he crawled over to her. His eyes fell upon Bahamut again. It had recovered from the blow and was eyeing both of them with murderous intentions.

- _"Quistis…?" _Squall croaked out, laying a gloved palm onto her back, eyes never leaving Bahamut _"Quistis? Now would be a good time to get up…"_

Bahamut let out a high-pitched screech before lunging forward again. Squall's irises dilated.

- _"QUISTIS!"_

            It all happened in a heartbeat.

            Quistis rose up in full height abruptly, dust molecules falling off her clothes and hovering in mid-air as she did so. Bahamut was dangerously close when she extended her arm forward. Her eyes no longer bore irises and pupils, but were covered completely by a deep blue curtain. Her whole body was glowing and her teeth were clenched so hard, they looked ready to shatter into pieces any moment now. She withdrew her hand and arched her body backwards as a surge of electricity escaped from her cells. Squall fell back onto the ground covering his face, as the thousands of lightning bolts made contact with Bahamut, sending it crushing to the opposite wall, sizzling with electricity. The GF shrieked in pain as the bolt continued to penetrate its body and burn it to the core.

            Quistis arched up her body in full height again, thrusting her extended arm towards a low part of the pillar still standing in the middle of the room. A deep crack appeared at that spot, beginning to spread to the full width of the round pillar. Squall opened his eyes quickly enough to watch it crumbling down and towards them. With a loud bang, it crushed against the wall only a few feet a way from them, raising a new cloud of dust. Quistis turned around to face Squall, motioning towards the fallen pillar with her head. Squall swiftly got up and took a step towards the edge of the boulder they were standing upon, when a whirring sound was heard from above. Squall looked up just in time, to make out the shape of the aircraft hovering through the opening that Bahamut had created on the wall behind them. Zell and Selphie's faces were visible over by the open hangar door as it floated in the air. Selphie kicked a rope ladder that came uncoiling in front of Squall's feet. The Commander grabbed it and placed one foot upon a rope step. Behind him, Bahamut was getting ready to attack once again. Thinking quickly, he grabbed Quistis's wrist.

- _"TAKE OFF!" _Squall yelled at the pilot from below.

            The aircraft began to ascend higher, lifting both SeeDs from their feet. The impact of Quistis's full weight made the muscles on Squall's arm tighten, as he struggled to keep holding her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bahamut lunging forward in full speed. His eyes widened.

- _"Pull up the ladder!" _Squall ordered.

            The beast was much faster than the aircraft; they weren't going to make it. Squall half shut his eyes, preparing himself mentally for the worst. Bahamut was less than four feet away when the rattling sound of gunfire roared. The next thing he saw, was the GF being shoved backwards once again. The SeeD aircraft soared higher into the air, but Bahamut had yet to be defeated. Swinging one large claw, he made a move to slice Quistis in two. Squall swung his arm, trying to move her away from the claw swipe, but it was the sound of gunfire that proved to be life-saving once again. Only this time, the round of bullets was targeted towards the remaining ceiling of the Deep Sea Research Center. The ceiling collapsed, burying Bahamut under a mass of debris. Panting, Quistis took one last look on the island underneath them that was falling to pieces, before turning her gaze back up to Squall.

- _"Don't you **dare** let go now, Trepe."_ he hissed at her, clenching his teeth. 

            Zell and Selphie soon pulled the ladder back up to the hangar, bringing Squall to safety. The young Commander extended his other arm down as well, for Quistis to grab. With much greater ease now, he pulled her up onto the hangar, bringing her rolling onto the metal floor.

            The blonde took one last look at the ocean and the destroyed island in the distance, before the hangar door closed shut. Her gaze fell upon Selphie, who was beaming at them, sitting behind the machine gun of the aircraft.

            - _"Tee-hee!__ Irvy would be soooo proud if he could see me now!" _she squealed in delight.

            Both Squall and Quistis uttered a breathless 'Thanks' before falling hard upon the floor back-first, breathing heavily. None of them spoke for a fair couple of minutes, before Squall heard a chuckle escape his former Instructor's lips. He scoffed as her laughter became stronger, until he couldn't take it.

            He laughed out loud as well.

            It took both of them a fair amount of time to keep a straight face again. Quistis was the first one to sit up on the floor, running a gloved hand through her dirty hair. She shot Squall a mischievous grin as he got up as well. Squall grinned back at her.

- _"Aaaand we're even for the day…"_ Quistis said, extending her arm towards him.

Squall chuckled.   

- _"Yeah, we're even."_

            He shook her hand.  

* * *

            Seifer's jade eyes slowly rolled from the ground, cascading over a bony form of thirty feet in height, stopping wide at the tip of the monster's skull. Resisting the urge to utter _'Abadon, I presume?',_ he sucked in a breath.

- _"Holy shit…" _he choked out.

            His voice drowned from the whistling sound of one gigantic arm speeding down towards them. Instinctively, he shoved Edea away and rolled onto the ground himself to avoid the blow. Abadon's arm shattered the salty ground, making the crystals vibrate like wild.

            Irvine swung his shotgun in one hand skillfully, before aiming right at the beast's left knee.

- _"Eat this." _he said smirking.

            A loud bang echoed from the nozzle of his gun, as a bullet sped towards its aim. As always, the cowboy's hit was nothing less than perfect. The bony knee smashed and the limb fell with a loud thud on the ground.

            Beaming with pride, Irvine swung his gun once more, resting it onto his shoulder.

- _"Nice shot!" _Seifer said grinning, aiding himself up from the ground.

            However, he was more than surprised to see the monster kneel down at first, as its leg began to reform itself magically. All grins were immediately wiped off the trio's faces.

- _"What the hell…?" _Irvine gasped.

            Abadon's leg, now fully re-grown, plunged into the ground, aiding the monster up to full height again.

- _"Let's see you recover from **this**, you piece of shit…" _Seifer growled, extending his arm forward _"Firaga!"_

            A jet of fire unleashed upon the creature, but Seifer was horrified to see that it did little damage. Abadon merely staggered a couple of steps backwards.

            If Seifer had been terrified by the first glance he cast upon the monster, right now he was mortified. Both physical and magical attacks did no great damage to this creature and he had a good feeling that GFs wouldn't work either. Limit Breaks weren't going to help them out on this as well; Irvine's relied purely on shots of his shotgun which clearly were no good, and Seifer's were a combination of fire magic and physical attacks. Still of no use. How on **earth** were they going to get out of this one alive?  

            Abadon didn't allow Seifer's musings to go any further, as it brought down its arm once more, with the intention on making the blond a permanent part of the salty ground. Not having the time to dodge this one, Seifer swung Hyperion forcefully at the fingers that were trying to gain a hold of him, yanking the arm away. A pair of long, needle like bones fell onto the ground. The creature pulled back up and Seifer could have sworn it smirked at him wickedly as its two fingers began to reform. 

- _"Matron!" _Seifer called to Edea, who was standing a few feet behind him, she too, horrified _"You stay back and let us handle this!"_

            The older woman did as she was told, stepping back as Irvine rushed to Seifer's side.

- _"So… No magic, no physical attacks… Apparently no Limit Breaks either…" _Irvine mumbled at Seifer _"Any propositions?"_

- _"Nope."_

            Both men rolled away as Abadon brought down a bony arm once more, only to hit nothing but ground once again. Seifer rolled onto his feet, clutching his ears in vexation.

- _"And will those **fucking** crystals stop ringing?!" _he hissed _"Dammit! HOLY!"_

            A yellow spell escaped Seifer's outstretched hand, soaring towards Abadon's head. Both men's eyes widened.

            The monster shrieked in pain and retreated a fair amount of steps. Realization dawned on Seifer right then. Physical attacks wouldn't work, but **some** magic would. **Holy** magic, which meant that this creature was…

- _"An undead monster!" _Irvine finished for him. __

            Abadon let out a shrill scream before lunging at the two men once again. This time, Seifer wasn't fast enough; the sharp claws of the beast managed to scrape his pants, leaving deep cuts onto his left leg. Seifer hissed and fell onto the ground, clutching his wounded leg.

- _"Quick! Cast any cure spell you've got!"_ Irvine yelled at him.

- _"I don't have any!" _Seifer growled _"HOLY!"_

            Abadon shrieked and took a few steps back again.

- _"I **never **cure people, cowboy!" _Seifer went on _"They cure **me**!"_

- _"Fine, use Holy spells then!"_

- _"That was my last one!" _the blond hissed, getting up on his feet with slight difficulty _"And why the hell are you lecturing me instead of using one yourself?!"_

- _"I don't have any either!" _ Irvine yelled back, taking a shot at Abadon.__

The bullet pierced right through its skull and although Irvine knew it would do minor damage, it managed to hold the monster back a few seconds more.

- _"CURAGA!"_

            Both Irvine and Seifer turned around abruptly. They managed to see Edea, arms outstretched, right before a green surge of energy struck Abadon right on the chest. The shrill scream of pain the monster let out made the crystals vibrate wildly again. Seifer groaned loudly, clutching his ears once again, before turning to face Edea.

- _"You carry spells?!" _he gasped out in surprise.

- _"Of course I do. My days as a fighter aren't quite done yet, you know." _she retorted proudly _"CURAGA!"_

            The monster was becoming weaker and weaker with all the latest attacks, now lacking the strength to attack as fiercely as before. Edea rested her palms on her knees, panting, as Abadon tried to recover from the two consecutive blows.

- _"Use healing items…" _Edea said, breathing heavily _"I can't keep using magic so often; I'll be drained…"_

Seifer reached deep into his pockets and retrieved a tiny bottle, throwing it with might towards their enemy. The glass of the bottle smashed against Abadon's body, and the yellow fluid began to seep into its bones, causing it even more pain. Irvine took his turn in tossing another small bottle towards Abadon. The shattering sound of the glass, however, was accompanied by a drum-breaking shriek.

            All three fell down to their knees, covering her ears tightly. Squinting, Seifer tried to look up only to see Abadon falling onto its knees. The tip of one of its bony legs began to get greyer right then, the same effect spreading gradually to every inch of its skeletal structure, like a Break spell. The beast's scream was drowned when the last tip of its face buried into the grayness that had taken all over it. A heavy silence spread into the canyon of the Great Salt Lake for a split second, before Abadon shattered into millions of shards. Seifer ducked again, covering his face underneath his arms.

            The wind blew away the grey, ash-like tidbits of what was only a couple of minutes ago their enemy. The eerie peace fell once again upon the valley, leaving only the buzzing sound of the crystals settling down hover into the air. Seifer raised up his head once again, slowly aiding himself up to his feet. Next to him, Edea and Irvine followed suit, their expressions betraying the fact that they still couldn't believe the beast had been destroyed.

- _"So much for 'silly urban legends' then, eh?" _Seifer turned to Edea, smirking.

- _"Maybe that was just a coincidence." _the Matron replied, shrugging, apparently quite amused now that the threat was extinguished.__

- _"Yeah… A coincidence with two big-ass mastodons and body limbs the size of frickin' Galbadia…" _Seifer mumbled, rubbing his sore shoulders.__

- _"Language…" _Edea scolded, walking down the path lying ahead of them.__

            Seifer shook his head in disbelief, following Edea's lead. He felt yet another hearty slap on his back, making him stagger a few steps forward.

- _"I swear to Hyne, Kinneas," _he growled at Irvine, glaring at him _"If you do this once more, I'll give Messenger-Girl a reason to feel lonely at nights…"_

- _"Sheesh, what a grouch…" _Irvine said grinning _"Lighten up, will ya? We'll be reaching Esthar any moment now…"  _

* * *

- _"For the one hundredth time!" _Seifer snarled _"We've walked past this road **again**!"_

            Edea stopped on her tracks, looking around her worriedly.

- _"I think Seifer's right, __Irvine__…" _she said _"We're walking around in circles."_

- _"But how?" _Irvine said, crossing his arms.

- _"Use your eyes!" _Seifer said exasperated _"This is where the __Lake__ ends! We haven't gone any further, just back and forth!"_

            The blond pointed at the clearing before them. Beyond the Great Salt Lake, a vast area of auburn grounds lay, but the city of Esthar was nowhere in sight. There was nothing in the horizon, except for an annoying buzzing sound, of which the source they had yet to discover. Seifer raked a hand through his hair in weariness; they'd done nothing but walking all day –except take a lovely break with a hideous monster- and he just didn't feel like doing that anymore.

            Buzzzzz…

            He was tired, he was dirty, he was hungry and he was worried sick about the others. Why the hell hadn't they called so far?! And the fact that Esthar began to sound more and more like a **real** urban legend was pissing him off the most.

            Buzzzzz…

            All this trouble for nothing… But then again, those White SeeDs had said that Ellone was taken back to Esthar, so there was no doubt about it…

            Buzzzzz…       

            But where the hell was it?! **_'And why the FUCK won't that fucking buzzing sound STOP?!!!'_**

            Feeling like he'd reached his limits, Seifer vented out a small amount of frustration by kicking the ground before him and cursing under his breath. A small stone flew away from the force of his kick. Seifer turned away, groaning.

            BUZZZZ! Clink.

            Arching an eyebrow, he turned around again. His eyes fell upon the small stone he'd kicked just now; it was lying back in front of his feet. Seifer's forehead creased **_'Can't be the same one… Bah… All stones look alike; get a grip, Almasy.' _**he thought, kicking that one as well.

            BUZZZZ! Clink.

            Seifer's eyes widened. The stone had flown into the air, then had miraculously bounced back to where it came from, as if stopped by an invisible wall. Apparently, he wasn't the only one to notice…

- _"D-d-did you just see that?!" _Irvine gasped, approaching Seifer.

            The blond didn't reply, just kicked the stone yet again, watching its trajectory carefully this time. The stone soared up, it flew, it flew, it flew…

            BUZZZZ!

            A sound like concentrated electricity was heard and a few tiny bolts appeared, before the rock bounced backwards and onto the ground again.

            Clink.  

            Seifer moved closed to the edge of the gorge in front of him, hesitantly raising his gloved palm. Slowly, he moved his outstretched hand forward. He felt the force of an electric field slightly push his fingers away. Turning abruptly to his right, he began walking along the path, closely followed by a very puzzled-looking Irvine and Edea. The buzzing sound was getting louder and louder… And louder… And louder…

            He stopped walking when he noticed a few slim jets of electricity hovering in mid-air right before his very eyes. Squinting, he made out the pattern of many thin, black rows, the one on top of the other. He reached out to touch them cautiously. The electricity didn't push him away this time. His gloved fingers closed around a thin piece of solid material.

- _"Plastic…" _he mumbled.

- _"A ladder?" _Edea asked.__

- _"Seems to be…" _Irvine agreed _"So what do we do?"_

- _"There's only one way…" _Seifer said _"Up."_

            And with those words, he rested one foot upon the bottom step of the ladder, beginning to climb it. He gazed at the view of the vast crimson valley before him, feeling as if he was walking on thin air. Soon enough, there were no more steps, but his palm found some sort of outcropping, which he gently pushed. The outcropping that had turned out to be somewhat of a button or switch, opened up a new path. What was so far a thin, transparent curtain in front of Seifer's eyes, withdrew like a door opening, revealing a dark, narrow passageway.

            Edging inside, Seifer crawled his way down the passage, closely followed by his peer and his Matron, until they found themselves inside a small chamber. Seeing as it looked high-roofed enough for him to stand up, Seifer did so. Edea and Irvine crept out of the narrow path seconds after, both getting up as well. Irvine looked around him, bewildered.

- _"What is this place?" _he asked.

- _"I'm as lost as you are…" _Seifer admitted.

            He kept looking around the room, when he noticed the formation of the floor. There appeared to be some sort of platform on it. Irvine was standing on it, he was standing on it, but Edea wasn't. Gently pulling her towards him and onto the platform, he was surprised to find his suspicions proven true.

            The platform rose up and began to travel within dark channels, elevator-like. Seifer wasn't aware how long they'd been moving on it, but he was hoping he hadn't just done something **really** stupid. The platform-elevator suddenly stopped, making all its passengers almost trip and fall over. They remained in darkness for a split second, before a weak light came on. Not knowing what else to do, Seifer walked towards the small panel situated onto the platform.

            The second he took one step forward though, a tremendously bright light rushed to his eyes, almost blinding him. It was as if someone was yanking the drapes of a pitch dark room open. And in a way, it **really** was… The darkness that had been surrounding them, faded away in seconds, like black tiles being swept away from view. Swiftly, the so far black and blank view in front of them vanished, like a black veil being drawn away, only to be replaced by a transparent, glass-like wall. When he'd approached the hexagonal panel, it let off its camouflage, setting off a chain reaction with its surrounding brothers. The blinding light came from the sun, reflecting on the tall, emerald structures that stood up high, looking as if made by the finest, most lucid crystal. Long 'ribbons' of glass encircled the city, while weird, half-sphere shaped vehicles flew all round the place.

            Seifer's eyes widened once accustomed to the light and he took a few steps forward, resting his palms against the glass.

            The glorious, mythical city of Esthar lay before his very eyes…          

* * *

**A/N:** Check out my journal for the translation of Rinoa's chant and a small bonus featurette ;-p Oh and anyone who can tell me where the 'buzzing' crystals in the Great Salt Lake where inspired from, gains a cameo in the next chapter Just state your name, gender and a few facial features of yours in case you know the answer. HINT: It comes from a great comic book.

Till next time!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Both groups finally arrive in Esthar to converse with Dr. Odine about Rinoa's situation…_


	32. Chapter 31: The City of Esthar

**A/N:** Hey guys… Tried a new format for this chapter. Not too crazy about it, but it helps with the thing FFnet has for getting the text all 'squeezed' up together. Lemme know if you prefer it that way.

No Ellone-Quistis commentary on this one, cause the groups pretty close to getting to her, so Elle will get her screen time in the next chapter, k?

BTW, the comic book reference was from 'Incal - Part 3: That thing down there', a fantastic comic book series, created by none other than Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius, two masters of the 9th art. I guess not everyone is as obsessed and geeky as I am :-p ****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ The group has split in two; Squall, Zell, Selphie and Quistis have located Rinoa and after a narrow escape, rescued her. However, Rinoa managed to free the Lunatic Pandora, enabling a new kind of terror to  _

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                             A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                                 Chapter 31: The City of ****Esthar**

* * *

* * *

_            "Oh, my Hyne…" _Irvine gasped. The cowboy approached Seifer, gaping at the truly phantasmagorical view of Esthar City. _"Esthar…" _Edea said breathlessly. _"Wow…" _said Seifer _"I never imagined it would be so b-"_

            The blond never finished his sentence however, as the elevator began moving again. The transparent panels moved away and railings appeared. The platform dropped down abruptly and followed a ropeway through the city. The small party all found themselves being thrown down to the floor by the breakneck speed. Edea's hands slipped to the ones of the two men plopped down on each side of her, gripping them firmly. Their skin was as cold and pale as hers, all three pairs of eyes open at full width.

            As the platform moved around the city, Seifer's gaze caught the ones of random citizens of the city, traveling in pretty much the same way, only they seemed to be so accustomed to it that they didn't even flinch. In fact, they had caught view of the three bewildered passengers of that platform, grinning broadly at their discomfort. Seifer cursed inwardly as his stomach made another lurch, when the platform dove in again.

            It followed the ropeway through a great part of the city, until it stopped abruptly making the small party fall forward on all fours. Irvine's eyes, which had been wide open during the whole 'trip' on the platform, where still as saucer-like as ever. He was panting, looking as if he'd just gotten out of the most terrifying roller coaster on the planet. And in a way… he had. _"I. Do **not**. Like. Estharian. Transport means."_ he wheezed.

            Seifer nodded his head in solid agreement. Slowly, he got up, dusting off his clothes and helping Edea up. Irvine soon followed suit, wobbling unsteadily all the same. The trio's surprise was quite great however, when a futuristic car stopped right in front of them. Seifer creased his forehead, gently pushing Edea back, while slipping a hand close to his weapon. The door of the vehicle opened and a man dressed in weird-looking clothes came out. He cast a fleeting look upon the small group, his eyes finally making a stop upon Edea.

_            "Sorceress Edea?" _he asked. Edea nodded, gently rubbing Seifer's arm, to let him know it was OK. The blond moved out of the way, letting her pass. _"We came to see Dr. Odine." _Edea said, facing the man who'd spoken to her. At the sound of 'we', the latter scanned the tattered and slightly torn clothing of Seifer and Irvine with disdain. Both men narrowed their eyes back at him. Seifer clenched his fists. So far, he wasn't liking Estharians very much…

_            "…Please explain what this is regarding." _the man requested eventually. _"Of course."_Edea complied _"But I would really prefer it if I could talk to Dr. Odine himself." "Alright. Come with us please." _said the man, stepping inside the car once again. Edea followed him, and Irvine, after sharing a look of apprehension with Seifer, stepped inside as well. The blond was last to get in, sitting opposite the man inside the vehicle, glaring at him and accidentally-on-purpose allowing his trench coat hem to slip down, revealing the handle of Hyperion. The man returned the glare and then turned away, looking outside the window of the speeding car.

* * *

            The brief ride around the city gave the three visitors a much more stress-free view of the futuristic architecture of Esthar. The man who had met them before, gave the short comments on what they could see from time to time, mostly addressing Edea. Esthar looked by far the most interesting place in Gaia to live in. With technology that went beyond any ordinary person's imagination, a market that sold unique products as well as everything else you could find on any other continent and a seemingly peaceful society.

            Seifer was looking down at the city from the transparent window with a superior smirk on his face. Scoffing, he turned away **_'Balamb's ten times better than that… Technology my ass… At least we don't have to wear flamboyantly gay clothes…'_**

            Suddenly, the blond felt a vibration coming from inside his coat pocket. Immediately, he dug his hand inside and answered the call on his cell-phone, not even looking at who was calling him; he already knew. _"What the fuck took you so long, Pubes?!" _he snarled at Squall. The man glared at him in disapproval once again, but Seifer just ignored him. _"Geez, calm down…" _Squall replied in a worn-out tone _"Quistis is fine…"_

Seifer's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of magenta. Next to him, Edea and Irvine who had heard Squall's voice, grinned at each other. _"I… I don't… I never said…" _Seifer stuttered, but a look of enormous relief seemed to have taken over his face _"Argh! Where the hell are you?!"_ he growled, quickly changing the subject of conversation. _"We're on our way there. With the aircraft." _Squall replied. _"Did you get Rinoa? Is she OK?" _asked the blond. _"Yeah, we got her…" _Squall replied somewhat gloomily _"But her state hasn't changed. She's still in a coma…"_ _"Oh, I see…" _Seifer said, frowning _"Well, we're on our way to see that guy Odine, so don't worry. We'll get Rinoa back."_ _"Yeah, whatever…"_ _"Oh hey, you should know something though." _Seifer said _"The entrance to the city is hidden. You'll have to let the aircraft go when you reach the __Great Salt Lake__. All machinery goes berserk after that point because of the electrical field close by. Cross the __Lake__ and when you reach an end, find the secret passage. Just follow the buzzing sound."_ _"The buzzing sound?"_Squall asked. _"You'll know what I mean. There's an electrical field that makes it look like nothing's there, but you'll notice a ladder and a passage that will lead you here, trust me." _Seifer replied. _"OK… I guess…" "See you soon." _Seifer said, terminating the call.

            He slipped the cell-phone back in his pocket, running a hand through his hair. _"Everything OK with Rinoa?" _Irvine asked. _"Dunno…" _Seifer replied, shrugging _"She's still in a coma, Squall said. We'll see…"_ _"So umm…" _Irvine said, grinning mischievously _"Is **everyone** alright?"_ _"Yes." _Seifer replied, arching an eyebrow, glaring at Irvine. _"And Quistis?"_Edea played along, resting a hand on Seifer's shoulder. It was her turn to receive a glare. _"You got Matron in this, too?" _he snarled at Irvine.

_            "We should be arriving at the Presidential Palace any moment now." _interrupted the man, who had by now introduced himself as Eric Saunders. This time, even Seifer's look of contempt turned into awe, at the sight of the Estharian Presidential Palace. A glorious building, in tune with the emerald colorations of those around the city stood before them. Probably containing dozens of chambers, the massive Palace lay onto foundations that spread over vast surface, guarded by numerous sentries. The hovering vehicle descended lower and landed right in front of the Palace Gates. All four passengers stepped outside. Irvine tipped his hat and let out a low whistle.

_            "Wow…Esthar's President must be a real big shot…" _he said _"So… are we gonna meet him, or what?" _he asked Saunders eagerly. _"The President is currently… away." _Saunders replied scornfully _"But we've already contacted him and he has allowed you to spend some time in the Palace chambers to… rest."_ _"That was really nice of him." _Edea said smiling, addressing her two sons. Seifer merely shrugged _"Could you please inform him later on that we are sincerely grateful of his hospitality?"_ she asked Saunders. _"I will." _he replied, giving Edea a warm smile, which Seifer didn't like one bit _"Now if you'll please follow me…"_

            The trio followed Saunders down the gateway of the Palace, leading to the entrance. Once stepping inside, they were greeted by another platform, with which they'd become familiar during their entrance to the city. Upon seeing it, Irvine stopped dead on his tracks. _"I am **not** getting on this thing."_ he said firmly.

            Eric Saunders had to spend a decent amount of time trying to convince him that it was absolutely safe and quite different from the one they'd ridden to the city, as this one bore seats. Reluctantly, the cowboy followed Seifer and Edea, sitting onto the round 'couch' of the platform. He watched Saunders type something onto the panel and the platform transported them inside. Saunders was the first one to step off and offered his hand to Edea for help.

_            "I will now let you retire to your quarters." _he said, as he saw three maids hurrying towards them _"We'll discuss your problem afterwards, when Dr. Odine will return from his laboratory." "You should know…" _Seifer said, stepping forward _"We're expecting another party of five." "I will see to their treatment as well." _Saunders replied.__

            The first maid approached Edea and after bowing slightly to her, led her down the corridors. Irvine arched both eyebrows and tipped his hat at the girl that approached him, ignoring everyone else and following the girl. _"You'd better pray I don't inform Messenger-girl about this!" _Seifer called at him.

            He watched as Irvine tensed up immediately and stood up straight, no longer ogling over the young maid. The third one walked over to Seifer and smiled warmly at him. _"If you'll please follow me, sir, I'll take you to your private room." _she said. _"Just give me a minute please." _Seifer told her, turning his attention to Saunders _"If you know what's good for you," _he began in threatening manner _"You'll stop drooling over Edea. Or else I'll make sure you'll be coughing up your own balls. Got me?"_ _"Look at the pubic teenager, giving **me** heat…" _Saunders scoffed _"She is old enough to be your **mother** you know…"_ _"She **is** my mother." _Seifer said, glaring at him, grabbing a hold of the front of his shirt.

            Behind him, the maid made a squealing noise, which made the blond let go of Saunders. He turned his heel and followed the maid down the corridor, noticing that she kept a safe distance from him at all times…

            Seifer stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around his waist. The room he'd been led to about half an hour ago was something more than luxurious. He had his very own king-size bed with silky soft covers and a huge bathroom which had given him the opportunity of taking a **real** bath after so long. He pulled the chain, allowing the now lukewarm water to be drained to the last drop. He let out a sigh of relaxation and wiped the mirror above the sink clear from all the steam.

            He stared at his reflection for a few seconds, before running a hand through his wet locks of hair. He then ran his fingers down his face, which bore a couple of minor cuts. Obviously remnants of the fight out in the Great Salt Lake… He sighed once more and rubbed his sore shoulders in comfort. He opened the door of the bathroom, stepping inside the main room, where a small surprise was waiting for him.

            His clothes now lay upon his bed, sparkly clean. Arching both eyebrows, he walked over to the bed and picked up his jeans. The maid had reassured him that she would take care of them, but he wasn't expecting such rapidity. He lifted up his pants to his face and sniffed a whiff. They smelled clean to the core and he noticed that they were also sewn in the parts where Abadon's claws had ripped them. He could almost not see the seams. He made a mental note to thank the maid if he found her roaming around –he had the feeling he'd scared her a tad before- and went to answer the phone that was now ringing. 

_            "Umm…Hello?" _he said puzzled, unsure of who could be calling him there. _"Hey man." _came Irvine's voice from the other end of the line _"Did I interrupt anything?"_ _"No, what's up?" _Seifer asked. _"Just thought you might wanna come down to the Hall." _said Irvine, chuckling _"The others just arrived. I saw Saunders and he said-"_

            Seifer never heard the end of Irvine's sentence, as he hung up and sprinted over to the door. He'd just opened it, when he realized he was dressed in nothing but a towel. Cursing inwardly and sprinting back towards the bed, he flung the towel away and grabbed his boxers, yanking them up. He hastily tugged his T-shirt down, not bothering to dry his hair, resulting in smearing the neckline with humidity. He slipped his legs into his jeans and staggered to the door while buttoning them up, grabbing his boots that stood near the door. He pulled the key of his room out of the keyhole and slipped it into his pocket, while pulling his boots up during his struggle to get down to the Hall.

            On his way down, he spotted a maid rushing along the corridor as well. The gears within his devious brain began to spin. _"Hey wait!" _he called to her. The maid stopped on her tracks, looking apprehensive.

_"Are you going down to the Hall?" _Seifer asked her. _"Yes, sir.__ Can I help you with something? I'm in a hurry." _she said nervously. _"You're showing the guests to their rooms, right?" _Seifer asked, smirking. The girl nodded _"I'm in room 105. Is the one next to me by any chance vacant?"_ _"Umm… I… I think so…" _the girl said, staring at Seifer puzzled. _"Good." _replied the blond grinning _"Now… I would **reeeeeally** appreciate it if you could show the **blonde** girl to it." _he said, slipping a hand into his back pocket, retrieving a 100 Gil note _"Can you do that?"_ The girl bit her lip and looked around her, before snatching the bill. _"Great." _said Seifer grinning _"And remember; the **blonde** girl. Tall, with blue eyes."_ _"Yes sir." _said the maid, dashing down the corridor.

            Seifer grinned and slipped his hands inside his pockets, resuming his walk down the hallway **_'Ohhh yeah…'_**

_            "Irvyyyyy!" "Sefie!"_

Selphie made a run towards the cowboy, jumping into his arms. The latter hugged her tightly in his embrace, then pushed her away gently, staring at her._ "What the hell happened to you?" _he asked everyone, who were gathered in the Hall.__

            All members of the small party aside from Rinoa, were smeared with soil, were cut and bruised. Their clothes bore either minor or major rips in numerous places and their faces looked worn-out. Rinoa was the only one looking half-presentable, but her face and skin were paler than ever and she was still deep into a coma. Squall was carrying her on his back, holding her thighs, while hear head drooped down to his shoulder motionless and her arms hung loose above his shoulders. Saunders was there as well, looking more scornful than ever at the sight of the state these four teenagers were in. Behind him, stood four maids, waiting to be given instructions.

_"We'll talk about that shortly…"_ Squall said wearily _"I think we all need a rest and then we can meet up and discuss what we'll do. But for now, I want to see Ellone. Where is she?" _Squall snapped at Saunders. _"Ellone…?"_ Saunders said, arching both eyebrows. _"Calm down, Squall." _Irvine said _"Let's just get you to your room and then we'll-"_

_            "Fine? FINE?! Is that what you call **fine**, Commander Puberty?!"_

            All heads turned around towards the source of the voice. Seifer was strutting down the corridor, heading to their direction, in a livid state. Quistis felt a tremendous amount of relief overtake her and she didn't manage to choke down a small smile that crept up on her lips at the sound of his words. Squall rolled his eyes; the last thing he needed right now was to hear Seifer's bitching…

_            "What the hell did you four crawl through before getting here?!" _the blond said, finally reaching a halt in front of them. _"Now's not the time, Seifer…" _Zell mumbled, rubbing his sore neck _"We have to rest first and then we'll talk."_ _"OK, fine…"_ said Seifer shrugging. _"Dr. Odine is here now, in case you want to see him first." _Saunders piped in _"I believe Sorceress Edea is conversing with him as we speak." "Right… I'll take Rinoa to him." _Squall addressed the others _"You go rest and I'll call to inform you about our meeting."_ _"Great. Come on." _Seifer said, grabbing Quistis's arm.

            Zell and Selphie were already walking down the hallway to their rooms, when a maid approached Seifer and Quistis. _"Umm… I'm supposed to show you to your room, Miss…" _she told Quistis, shooting a sideways glance at Seifer. The blond recognized her as the maid he'd spoken to earlier. For a second, he thought she'd tricked him into taking his cash, but then he realized that she was just trying to do her job in front of Saunders and all he had to do was play along. Quistis was about to speak, when Seifer interrupted her.

_            "And which room might that be?" _he asked. _"Umm… Room 106."_ the young girl replied, showing him a brass key with the number '106' engraved on it. _"Great." _Seifer said, snatching the key from her hands _"Right next to mine."_

            He turned his heel and dragged Quistis along with him, leaving her bewildered by what had just happened.

* * *

            Squall stepped inside the lounge room, Rinoa still slumped onto his back. Edea was already inside, talking to a man, dressed similarly to Saunders. Probably a Presidential Aide… _"…That is the reason I am here."_ Edea finished _"I seek the doctor's help. I wish to be free of Sorceress Ultimecia's control."_

            The young Commander felt someone push him on the back to come through. Staggering a bit, he stepped aside, coming face to face with the oddest-looking man he'd ever seen in his life. They guy was ridiculously short, seemed to be foreign **_'Hmmm… Maybe Trabian…' _**and wore the most extravagant colorful 'collar' Squall had ever had the misfortune to come across. From all the rumors he'd heard over the years, this could only be… 

_            "Zat will be easy."_ the short man, Dr. Odine, said, entering the room. He shut the door behind him, casting a scanning gaze across the room, seeming to be particularly interested on Rinoa. Squall frowned and tightened his grasp on her a bit, as if trying to protect her.

_            "We just exorcise the sorceress."_ Odine went on, his eyes focusing on Edea now _"There iz nothing Odine cannot do."_ _"I leave everything in your hands."_ Edea said firmly. _"So, you want to see Ellone?"_ the Aide said, looking at Squall. _"Where is she? I have to bring Rinoa to her."_ Squall snapped _"We need to see Ellone, now!"_ he demanded. _"So, you will take Odine hostage?!"_ Odine said, looking incredulously at Squall _"You are a fool."_ _"I don't care!"_ Squall persisted _"Just take me to Ellone!"_ _"Do as he says."_ Odine said, shrugging _"I give ze permission."_ _"…Very well."_ said the Aide _"But…" _he began.

            Squall glared at him; he didn't want to hear any 'buts' now! They had to get to Ellone as fast as they could! Otherwise they ran the risk of her becoming possessed again and they could lose her for good. Squall didn't even want to **think** about that possibility…

_            "…Ellone is not here."_ the man finished _"She's at the Lunar Base." "Where's **that**?" _Squall asked, frowning._ "On the Moon…obviously." _replied the Aide, arching an eyebrow._ "Fine, take me there." _Squall insisted.__

            The Aide turned and looked at Odine for reassurance. _"I already gave permission." _Odine repeated _"But under one condition" _he added_" You must let me observe zis girl."_

            Squall looked at the doctor through narrowed eyes. He didn't like the sound of this… It made Rinoa seem like a guinea pig, open to experimentation for just about everything… But he was left with no choice… It was either that or they wouldn't see Ellone at all.

_            "Well?"_ said the Aide _"We would need time to prepare before we take you to Ellone. So, you will leave the girl with us until then?"_ _"Accept their offer, Squall."_ Edea urged him. _"You'd better not do anything to Rinoa…"_ Squall threatened. He walked over to the sofa next to him, gingerly laying Rinoa down. He shot one last ominous glare at Odine, before making his way to the door. _"We should be ready in about three hours." _he heard the Aide say _"We'll call beforehand and inform you."_

            Without turning around, he nodded and exited the room, closely followed by Edea. The older woman sighed and laid a hand on Squall's shoulder. _"I'll go get some rest now, Squall." _she said _"You should, too." "Yeah, I will…"_ he muttered. He watched Edea slowly walk away, when a maid ran to his side **_'Do these girls here have radars, or what?' _**he thought **_'How the hell do they know exactly when to come?!'_**

_            "May I show you to your room, sir?" _she asked politely. Squall nodded and was about to follow her, when he felt someone pull him back from the sleeve, looking around in conspiratorial manner. He leaned close to Squall's ear. _"Dr. Odine doesn't care too much about people."_ he whispered _"Especially when they're subjects of research. You better make sure nothing happens to your girl…"_

            Squall arched an eyebrow and pulled away, following the maid down the corridor **_'I'll kill him if anything happens to Rinoa.'_**

****

****

* * *

_            "So…to make a long story short, the place just collapsed like that and we barely escaped." _Quistis finished.

            Seifer was lying stomach-first on the bed of her room, resting his chin on his balled fist, listening to her story. At the same time, Quistis was going through her backpack, retrieving her regular clothing in order to change. She ran a hand through her hair, sighing in weariness as she rubbed her sore shoulders.

_            "I need a shower…" _she mumbled. _"Go take one." _Seifer suggested _"I'll be waiting here."_ _"What for?"_Quistis said, arching an eyebrow. _"Squall will call later. And I can walk you down to the Hall, lounge… whatever…" _Seifer said shrugging, a grin spreading on his face. _"Alright…" _Quistis said, smiling.

            She slowly made her way inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Seifer heard the sound of a key turning into the lock. He chuckled **_'Hmmm… I guess she doesn't trust me very much to leave the door unlocked…' _**Lying onto his back, he pulled his loosely laced boots off with the aid of his heels, crossing his arms behind his head. From inside the bathroom, he heard the sound of water running; Quistis had turned the shower on.

            The blond let out a long-dragged yawn. This day had been far from relaxing so far and Hyne knew he could use some rest right about now. He closed his eyes, letting the rippling sound of water relax his mind **_'I'll just relax for a bit… Until Quistis is done with her shower… Yeah… Just… relax…'_** His breathing became even, stomach slowly arching up and down rhythmically; he had fallen asleep…

            Quistis stepped out of the shower, grabbing a near-by towel and wrapping it around her wet body. She wrung her hair damp, enfolding it within another towel with one swift move. She walked barefoot towards the sink, clearing the mirror from the steam with her palm, just enough to be able to view her face. She tucked a stray strand of hair that had 'escaped' inside the towel and gazed at her reflection. Her eyes bore black circles underneath them and tiny scratches appeared on her neck, face and the rest of her skin, witnesses of the rather grave ordeal she'd been through this day. And it certainly hadn't been easier for anyone else…

            Her fingers moved onto the mirror again, nails grazing the smooth surface. Subconsciously, her index finger swirled down, creating a serpentine line onto the damp mirror. 'S'… Her gaze turned to the door and she grinned. Seifer had offered to stay and walk her to the meeting with the others. He could be really sweet sometimes… **_'But only when other people aren't present…' _**she thought, chuckling. She unlocked the door and made a move to open it, when she realized she was dressed in nothing but a towel that barely covered anything. And her clothes lay on her bed, inside the main room **_'Damn…' _**she cursed inwardly **_'I should have taken them with me…'_**

                        _Don't worry mistress; he's asleep…_

            Arching an eyebrow, Quistis slowly turned the knob of the door, opening it just wide enough to peer inside the room. Through the thin slit of her visual range, she saw Seifer lying onto the bed, indeed fast asleep.

            **_'Thanks, Shiva…'_**

            She stepped inside the room as soundlessly as possible, walking towards the bed to grab her clothes and go get dressed in the bathroom. Alas, the phone chose that particular time to ring, a sound that pierced the silence within the room like a deafening roar. Skidding towards the nightstand, where the phone device lay, as fast as she could, she picked up the receiver, casting a fleeting look over at Seifer **_'Thank Hyne… Still asleep…' _**she thought. _"Hello?" _she spoke on the phone.

            Next to her, Seifer stirred and slowly cracked an eye open; the ringing sound had woken him up. Quistis was standing to his right, back turned at him, speaking on the phone. Seifer arched an eyebrow at the sight of her clad in nothing but a bathroom towel; however, he decided to keep his awakening a secret. Otherwise, he had a feeling he'd be receiving the sharp edge of the deadly weapon he himself had bought for her. For the meantime, he would just eavesdrop on what she was saying…

_            "Hello?" _Quistis said. _"It's Squall." _came the Commander's voice through the other end of the line _"Just called to tell you about the meeting. Are you going to be ready in half an hour?" _he asked. _"Sure. Half an hour's fine." _Quistis replied, nodding _"Did you get some rest?" _she asked in concern. _"Yeah, I'm good. By the way, would you happen to know where Seifer is?" _Squall asked _"I called his room and he isn't there and he won't answer his cell phone either."_

            Behind Quistis, Seifer slowly peeked into his pocket, trying to view the small screen of his phone. It was still lit up and a small message appeared on the screen _'2 missed calls'_. A tiny icon of a music note being deleted with a line was visible next to the time, indicating that he had turned the sound off. He barely caught Quistis turning around out of the corner of his eye and slipped his hand back in place just in time, shutting his eyes again.

            Quistis turned around and looked at him, blushing, then turned away again. _"Seifer?__ Umm… Uhh…" _she stammered _"Oh yeah! He came over a few minutes ago… He… he said he was getting some… uhh… coffee. Yeah! Coffee. And uhh… came to ask me if I wanted any…"_

            Seifer carefully half-opened one eye again, grinning.

_            "OK…" _Squall said, somewhat disbelievingly _"But why won't he answer his cell phone?"_ _"Oh, uhh… that." _Quistis said, chewing the interior of her cheek nervously _"He… He left it here! Because he's coming back… And I… I didn't hear it ringing because I just got out of the shower." "Alright…" _Squall replied in the same tone _"So you'll inform him about the meeting, too, OK? Just come down to the lounge room."_ _"Yeah, alright.__ S-see you in a bit." _ Quistis said, putting the receiver back in place.

            She ran a hand down her forehead, sighing in relief. _"Why did I have to lie…?" _she muttered out loud _"It's not like there was something going on… I mean… Oh great…" _She sighed again _"Now I'm talking to myself… First sign of madness…" _she mumbled, heading towards the bathroom again, grabbing her clothes from the bed.

            Seifer carefully followed her with his gaze while she stepped inside the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door this time. From his position, he could just make out the upper left corner of the mirror in front of her. He watched mesmerized, as she removed the towel from her hair, long golden locks falling onto her shoulders. She brushed the knots away tenderly, then picked up a toothbrush and flipped her hair into a swift bun, temporarily holding it up by plunging the toothbrush in it. The top of her chest suddenly became bare, when she removed the towel from her body as well. Seifer swallowed with difficulty, letting out a shaky sigh. Her form disappeared from sight for a few seconds as she bent down, then re-appeared. The next thing he saw, was a pair of straps lined from her shoulders down to her chest. She turned around towards the main room and Seifer shut his eyes again.

            Quistis stood behind the wall, poking her head out only, checking to see if Seifer was still sleeping. His eyes were closed and his chest was arching up and down again, making her deduce he really was asleep. Walking on tip-toes, she made her way to the bed again, searching as silently as possible in her bag. She grabbed a small bottle from inside, then glided back into the bathroom.

            Seifer opened his eyes just in time to catch glimpse of her, before he saw part of her reflection on the mirror again. He watched her open the bottle she was holding and spray twice on front of her chest. Perfume… The scent soared into the room, reaching him and he took it in with one deep breath. He exhaled almost soundlessly, closing his eyes, letting out a tiny sigh **_'Hyne… Lilacs…'_** He opened his eyes again slowly, watching her zip up the vest of her peach battle gear. She slid the toothbrush out of her bun, allowing her hair to fall down loose once more, only to be swirled up again, by one of her familiar hair-clips.

            She exited the bathroom one last time, switching off the light behind her. She placed the perfume bottle back into her bag and looked at Seifer's mock-sleeping form, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She kneeled onto the mattress, crawling over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

_            "Seifer?" _she said softly, nudging him. Deciding to seize the opportunity of contact, Seifer didn't budge. _"Seifer…?" _Quistis tried again, touching his cheek with the tip of her finger _"Wake up…"_ Letting out a sleepy moan, he turned over on his side, facing her, eyes still shut. Quistis sighed and playfully tapped her palm on his exposed cheek. _"Hey… come on… wake up…" _she whispered. When Seifer finally opened his eyes, Quistis's palm was still resting onto his cheek. He gave her a sleepy grin and turned his head to the side the slightest bit and kissed her inner palm.

_            "Promise to wake me up like that every day?" _he muttered, grinning.

            Quistis blushed and pulled her palm away, inching backwards. _"Come on." _she said, getting up from the bed _"Squall called about half an hour ago and the meeting should get started any moment now."_ _"OK, OK…" _Seifer said, faking a yawn _"Just gimme a sec…"_

            He got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, spraying a handful of water onto his face, to freshen up. Returning into the room, he sat on the bed to tie up his boots and grabbed his trench coat slipping it on, walking outside the door of the room that Quistis had now opened. He stood behind her as she locked it, resting a hand on the side of the threshold. When Quistis locked the door and turned around, she came face to face with him and jumped up the slightest bit, looking down to her feet.

_            "Hey, by the way…" _Seifer said, lifting her chin up with a crooked finger. _"What?" _Quistis asked. Still holding her chin with two fingers, he leaned in and pressed his lips upon hers. He brushed his tongue inside her mouth swiftly, then pulled back gently. _"…welcome back." _he finished, winking at her.

            He moved away and began pacing down the corridor. Quistis was left frozen in spot, still holding the key in her palm, not having moved a single millimeter. She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers and bit them gently, before Seifer's voice reached her ears again.

_            "You comin'?" "Yeah…" _Quistis said breathlessly and followed him down the hallway. __

* * *

            The six mercenaries along with Edea were sitting around a table inside the lounge room, which had kindly been offered by the Estharian President for their brief meeting. The man himself was, however, still nowhere to be found. The Presidential Aides had informed them that he was 'away' on business and tremendously sorry that he couldn't meet with them.

_            "…So basically that's what happened." _Squall finished narrating the incidents that had taken place at the Deep Sea research Center only a few hours ago _"As you can all see, we'll have to split up in two groups again. Some of us will go to the Lunar Base to see Ellone and accompany Rinoa. The rest, will stay here." "And do what?" _Selphie asked._ "Well…" _Edea piped in shyly _"The matter of suppressing my powers is still at hand…" "I'll stay behind with you."_ Seifer interrupted. Edea beamed at him._ "Good." _said Squall _"I've been informed that besides Rinoa, only two of us can go to the Lunar Base-" "We'll go." _Irvine offered sportingly, wrapping an arm around Selphie's shoulder, who nodded._ "And one of them is going to be **me**." _Squall continued, arching an eyebrow at him._ "Oh…" _Irvine said, rubbing the back of his hair _"…Right." "So… Who wants to come?" _Squall asked._ "I'll come." _Quistis said determinedly.__

            Seifer's head snapped up.

_            "__Irvine__ just asked to go." _he said, frowning. _"Well…" _Quistis said shrugging _"I figured that since he and Selphie were separated last time, they'll want to spend some time together…?" _she asked, grinning. Selphie and Irvine reciprocated the grin. _"Hey, Wuss."_Seifer said, turning his attention over to Zell _"What about you?" "Sure, I'll go!" _Zell said excitedly. _"But** I** just offered to go…" _Quistis said, narrowing her eyes slightly at Seifer.

            All pairs of eyes rested upon the blond for a few, silent seconds. He was trying to maintain his composure, but Quistis was more than certain his blood was boiling inside. Why, she had yet to figure… _"Fine, you go." _Seifer snapped _"Are we done here?"_ _"Yes…" _Squall said, arching an eyebrow _"We're done."_ _"Good." _said Seifer, getting up from his chair abruptly.

            He strode over to the door and disappeared behind it, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

_            "What the hell got into **him**?" _Zell asked.

            Edea's gaze immediately fell onto Quistis. The blonde sighed and got up, exiting the lounge room as well. She saw Seifer walking down the hallway ahead of her, hands tucked into his coat pockets. _"Seifer!" _she called.

            The tall blond stopped in his tracks, turning around. He frowned and rested his back against the wall behind him, waiting for her to catch up with him.

_            "What?" _he said when she approached him. _"I believe I should be asking that…" _Quistis said, crossing her arms _"What just happened back there? Why did you get upset?"_ _"Why do you want to go to the fucking Lunar Base so bad?" _Seifer asked, pursing his lips. _"Excuse me?" _Quistis asked, frowning. _"Just…" _Seifer said, running a hand through his hair, looking away. He kicked the wall behind him _"Just let **me **go. You stay here with Matron."_ _"Why?" "Why not?"_ _"But you said you wanted to stay and protect her." _Quistis said. _"Yeah, whatever…" _Seifer said shrugging _"I'll go to the fucking base; I don't mind."_ _"Don't you think it would be best if you stayed and led the other team?" _Quistis suggested _"Since both you and Squall are Commanders, shouldn't each of you lead one team?"_ _"OK fine. I'll stay. Just let Dincht go."_ Seifer retorted. _"Why?" _Quistis repeated. _"Why **not**?"_ he spat back again.

            Quistis sighed.

_            "This is getting ridiculous, you know…" _she said, shaking her head._ "Is there a **reason** you keep trailing after Puberty Boy?"_ Seifer said, changing the subject suddenly._ "Trailing…?" _Quistis said, frowning eve more. The whole conversation was beginning to annoy her._ "Yeah. Wherever he goes, you immediately wanna go, too." _Seifer said _"What's the deal with that? Fancy him?"_ Seifer asked, forcing out a smirk._ "Are you out of your mind?" _Quistis said, beginning to raise her voice._ "Am I?" _Seifer retorted, sneering sarcastically._ "I don't know what in Hyne's name got into you al of a sudden, but I'm not in the mood for idiotic quarrels." _Quistis spat at him, turning her heel.__

            She brushed by him, making her way down the hallway and back towards her room.

_            "FINE!" _Seifer yelled behind her _"Have a good time out in FUCKING space with Commander Puberty!" _

* * *

            Squall and Seifer stepped out of the flying vehicle that had brought them to the Lunar Gate first. The rest of them, Edea included, followed right behind. Squall seemed to be deep in thought, while Seifer was still brooding, not uttering a single word. They approached the shiny glass doors, where a man was standing on guard, clad in a military uniform. _"Welcome to 'Lunar Gate'."_ he said "_Our staff is waiting for you inside the complex."_

            Squall nodded while Seifer ignored him and the group walked to the doors, which opened automatically. Inside, they were greeted by a woman, dressed in a grey uniform. The words 'Lunar Gate' were sewn in black on the left side of her chest. _"We've been expecting you."_ she said, smiling at them _"This way, please."_

            Squall and his party followed the girl, when a bark made them all turn around. Angelo, Rinoa's pet dog ran into the room. Squall grinned gloomily and kneeled down to the floor, as the brown-furred dog approached him and sat down, looking at him. Squall rested one palm onto the animal's head, patting it tenderly **_'It's gonna be ok. I'll take care of Rinoa.'_** he thought, somehow certain that the dog could hear him out.

_            "Are you done there?" _Seifer said wearily. Squall stood up and nodded _"Lead the way." _the blond said to the woman. They followed her down the lobby and into a room, where another man was waiting for them, standing a few feet away from a pod. _"Are you the ones taking off?"_ he asked them. _"Yes."_ Squall replied laconically. _"OK, this way."_ he said, motioning towards the pod.

            Squall approached it and turned around to the man again.

_            "Distance-wise, it's pretty far, but you'll be there in no time. You'll be there by the time you wake up."_ he informed them. _"Where are we going?"_ Squall asked. _"Let me give you a quick explanation about the whole process."_ the man said _"First, we need you to enter the capsule inside the pipe. Here, you'll undergo the 'cold sleep' process. Once this process is complete, your capsule will automatically be loaded into the booster. After that, we launch. You should be there by the time you wake up. Leave the rest to the staff once you get there…Well, that's about it in a nutshell. I won't say there isn't any risk involved. What do you want to do?"_ he asked, waiting for reassurance. _"Let's do it."_ Squall said firmly. _"OK, you need to decide who you're taking."_ the man said _"The girl in blue has already undergone 'cold sleep' and has been loaded in. There's room for one more."_ _"That would be me."_ Quistis said, stepping forward. _"OK then, those who are going, get in."_ said the man.

            Squall gave everyone a casual wave and stepped inside.

_            "Bon voyage!" _Irvine called, grinning. _"And be careful!" _Selphie added. Quistis approached the pod next. _"Watch out once you get there, k?" _Zell called. Quistis smiled at him. _"We'll see you again soon." _Edea said reassuringly.

            Quistis's gaze fell upon Seifer, who looked at her for a few seconds, then turned away and gave her a half-hearted wave. Sighing, she stepped inside the pod.

* * *

            Seifer watched through the glass ceiling as three mall pods sped away into the distance, leaving out a snowy white trail of exhaust smoke. The pods soared higher and higher, until they were nothing but dots in the sky. The blond Commander looked down at his feet and cursed inwardly.

_            "Man, I hope everything goes well…" _Zell said, eyes still locked upon the blue sky. _"They'll be fine!" _Selphie said in what sounded like an awfully casual voice, but the apprehension was visible in her eyes. _"I think they're in good hands." _Irvine agreed. _"Let's pray for their safe return." _Edea said, sighing _"OK, shall we go?"_

            No sooner had the Matron spoken these words, than Angelo howled and sprinted outside the lobby. Seifer arched an eyebrow.

_            "What the…?" _he muttered. _"Heeey, come back!"_ Selphie said, running after the dog. _"Geez!__ What's up with her?"_ said Irvine, following Selphie outside. Zell, Seifer and Edea made a move to run outside as well, when a minor earthquake startled the ground, accompanied by a distant rumbling.

_            "WHOOAA!!!"_ Zell exclaimed, trying to maintain balance _"Let's go outside!"_

            The rest of the group rushed outside led by Zell, only to be greeted with the sight or Irvine and Selphie stunned, staring at the clearing before them in awe, while Angelo continued to bark and howl like mad. It didn't take them long to realize what it was that had gained their attention… A gargantuan, black structure was floating in mid-air, following a steady direction towards… Esthar.

* * *

**A/N:** Just a relaxing chapter of sorts. Nothing too exciting happens, but I've got a couple of surprises for the next one. Till then, cya!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_As Squall, Rinoa and Quistis travel into space, the rest stay behind in Esthar, only to face a danger like none the grand city had seen for over seventeen years._


	33. Chapter 32: Fly me to the moon and let m...

**A/N:** I'm terribly sorry for the late update, you guys… The chapter has been ready for ages, but I've been having trouble with my Internet connection. For more details, see my journal… :Sigh: ****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ The group gathers up in the Presidential __Palace__ of __Esthar__, where Rinoa is decided to be escorted into space to meet up with Ellone…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                                            A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                  Chapter 32: Fly me to the moon and let me sway among the stars…**

* * *

* * *

- _"What the hell is that?!"_ Zell croaked out _"It's humongous!"_

            Selphie squinted, only seconds before her eyes opened up to full width.

- _"Don't you recognize it?!" _she squealed _"It's that thing Rinoa set free in the __Research__Center__!!!"_

            Zell's eyes became very much alike Selphie's, as realization dawned upon him. Seifer felt the breath die within his throat, his eyes as saucer-like as everyone else's.

- _"Rinoa set **that **loose?!!!" _he choked out, still not quite able to comprehend the magnitude of it all.

- _"Say, wasn't the city in that direction?"_ Irvine said with a trembling voice, in great fear of the positive answer he saw sure he'd receive.

- _"Uh-oh! Dr. Odine might be in trouble!"_ Selphie exclaimed, gripping her face with both palms.

- _"We'd better head for the city at once."_ Edea said, looking at Seifer _"Dr. Odine might know what's going on."_

            All pairs of eyes rested upon the tall blond eagerly, awaiting for affirmation. Seifer raked a hand through his hair, sighing **_'Not a Hynedamn moment of peace, you cruel son-of-a-bitch…' _**he thought.

- _"Well?!" _Selphie almost screamed at him.

- _"C'mon, Seifer!" _Irvine urged him _"You're our leader… What do we do?"****_

            Seifer smiled inwardly at the sound of these words. He was their **leader** for once… And it felt damned good. Although he would have preferred to hear it under different circumstances… Right now, the last thing he wanted was to have the heavy burden of such a decision weighing on his shoulders. But he shouldn't feel chickened out by that… that… **thing** now, should he? He was afraid of nothing… right? He sighed once again.

- _"Let's go save some Estharian ass…"****_

****

****

* * *

_                                                            You know, I was indeed in space during that time, so I never got a chance to see what happened_

_                                                             with the Lunatic Pandora before we fought in it later on._

_                                                                                    Apparently some of your choice never changed. Just like in your own world, you decided to follow Squall_

_                                                                                     into space. But Seifer wasn't happy about it…_

_                                                                                                                                    The idiot… :Chuckle: It's nice to know that he worries though…_

_                                                :Laughter: I bet it is… _

* * *

            Squall felt a numb sensation spread all over his body, relaxing him, putting his in deep slumber. His eyelids grew heavy and before he knew it, his vision disappeared behind chestnut eyelashes. Time instantly shrunk to nothing but second particles and the next time he regained consciousness, he was still in the same pod he'd been when he left Gaia. It was as if not a single moment had passed, but he couldn't open his eyes. They were frozen shut, and his body still felt anesthetized.

- _"Initiating quick-thaw. It's gonna feel a bit itchy." _

            The voice had resonated in his pod from above. The next thing he felt, was indeed an itching sensation. Like the feeling that overtakes a limb when it's left tranquil and suddenly 'awakens'. It slowly commenced from his toes, spread to his feet, his legs and gradually up to his head. He felt his breath get caught up in his throat momentarily, as if choking, but it came back instantly. He cracked his eyes open.

- _"OK, done."_

            The top of the pod creaked open and a blinding light that surged within the confined space he'd been locked inside made him shut his eyes again. He felt his wet body and clothes slip out of the pod and he prepared himself for hard contact with the floor below, only to realize he was floating in mid-air.

            It took a few seconds for his vision to return fully, and when it did, he found himself hovering only a few feet above the metal floor in weightlessness. A small group of technicians was standing below him, looking up at him. His gaze fell onto the view before him; a wide glass window was providing him with the panoramic view of… stars. They were indeed in space. His eyes instinctively moved to his side, were he found a similarly drenched Quistis and Rinoa, floating upside-down just like him.

            Quistis threw her bodyweight forward, doing a spin on the spot, bringing her legs facing the floor. Squall followed her example, but his blue gaze was still locked upon Rinoa, who was twirling around in the air, limps hanging from her body almost lifelessly. 

- _"Lock on to rotation ring unit."_ spoke one of the technicians.

            Squall felt his weight returning within his body pound by pound, as his form drew closer and closer with accelerating speed towards the floor. His boots hit the metal beneath him and he wobbled unsteadily for a few seconds, trying to get used to the feeling of gravity once again.

- _"Lock engaged. Generating artificial gravity."_ said the same technician.

            He watched as a couple of men approached Rinoa, bringing her down carefully, so that she wouldn't get hurt. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught another man offering his hand to Quistis, to gently pull her down. Quistis nodded at him as a 'Thank you' and looked over at Squall. A woman dressed similarly as everyone else approached them and handed them a small blanket each. Quistis covered her shoulders and wiped her face dry, walking closer to Rinoa, to check if she was alright. Squall grabbed the blanket given to him and slipped his hand inside his pocket.

- _"Here's the letter of introduction from Esthar's ambassador."_ he said, handing out a folded piece of paper to the woman.

            His eyes fell upon Quistis and Rinoa again, only this time he spotted a man crouching next to the fallen girl as well. He held her arm and examined her with great interest and curiosity.

- _"Wow…What is she, 17, 18…? Is she dead?"_ he asked, looking up at Quistis.

            Squall narrowed his eyes.

- "**_Don't _**_touch her."_ he growled, making the man instantly drop Rinoa's arm.

            The doors behind them split open, and a grey-haired man entered, clad in a white uniform. He walked towards the group and cast a fleeting look at Rinoa.

- _"Hmmm…" _he murmured, rubbing his chin _"I see…" _He turned and looked at Squall _"I'm doctor Piet." _he said. Squall simple nodded _"I understand the situation. Let's get her to the med lab and we'll talk there."_

            Squall stepped over to Rinoa and bent down, scooping her up in his arms. He tightened the blanket around her damp body, wrapping her up well.

- _"Please follow __me.__"_ said Piet, walking back towards the doors he came through.

            Squall followed right behind him. Quistis quickened her pace, catching up with them, standing next to Squall. She sniffed audibly, wiping a trickle of moisture away from her face.

- _"Are you alright?" _she asked Squall. He merely nodded _"Rinoa?"_

- _"We'll see in a bit now, won't we?" _Squall replied. __

* * *

- _"YOU TRYIN' TO KILL US OR SOMETHIN'?!!!" _Zell screamed at Seifer.

            He was sitting in the back seat of a car, cramped between Irvine and Selphie, a seatbelt hastily wrapped around him.

- _"Trust me Chicken-Wuss,"_ said the tall blond –"SEIFER!" Edea yelled at him- turning the wheel abruptly _"**Nothing** would give me greatest pleasure than to see you splattered in my front windshield, but that would mean we'd all have to crash right now… Let's hold on to that idea though, shall we?" _Seifer sneered, eyes always focused on the road in front of him.

            The wheels of the car screeched as the vehicle took a sharp turn to the right, leaving a great cloud of dust on its wake.

- _"You didn't have to steal that car though," _Edea scolded, gripping onto the sides of the passenger's seat _"That poor man will not be able to- AHH!"_

            Their car sped away, passing only inches away from another vehicle approaching for the other direction. They barely heard the sound of a horn and an oh-so-not-complimenting adjective escaping the other driver's lips. Edea clutched her racing heart.

- _"**That man**," _she repeated firmly _"Will not be able to go back to Esthar now!"_

- _"I did him a favor." _Seifer growled _"He'll be safer in the Lunar Base than back in the city."_

- _"Oh yes!" _Zell sneered in sarcasm from behind _"I'm sure this is **exactly**__why you did it… Your **total** lack of respect towards **any** other human being certainly had **nothing** to do with it…"_   

            Seifer narrowed his eyes at Zell, glaring at him through the mirror above his seat. A Mephistophelian smirk spread on his lips and he stepped hard on the gas, taking the next turn as sharply as he could. Another round of screams greeted this move. Zell clutched his stomach and filled his cheeks with air.

- _"I think I'm gonna be sick…" _he mumbled, making Irvine and Selphie inch away from him as far as possible.

- _"Motion sickness anyone…?" _Seifer said in between chuckles.

- _"Goodness me…"_ Edea said disapprovingly, eyeing Seifer austerely _"Are you two always fighting like this?!"_

- _"Yes." _Irvine and Selphie said in unison, in a worn-out tone.

- _"Haven't you resolved your differences ever since the orphanage days?" _Edea asked again, still glaring at Seifer.

- _"No." _Selphie and Irvine piped in again.

- _"Chicken-Man back there knows I love him though, don't you Zelly-boy?"_ Seifer said mockingly, resting one hand on the wheel while turning to look at Zell, grinning.

- _"SEIFER!!! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!!!"_ all other passengers of the car yelled immediately.

            As cool and collected as ever, Seifer turned his focus back to his front almost in boredom, only to see that they had already passed the City Gates and where headed straight for a solid wall between two other cars, parked within the great parking lot of the city borders. Seifer turned the wheel to the far end, making the car perform a one-eighty turn, while switching it to reverse. A deafening silence of terror filled the car as it spun on the spot. Swiftly turning around to watch his rear, Seifer stepped hard on the brakes. The car came to an abrupt stop, shoving all passengers deep into the seats, only to bring them rocking forth once again gently.

- _"He's crazy…" _Zell spoke in a choked whisper _"He's frickin' crazy…"_

- _"Well, would you look at **that**?" _Seifer gloated, beaming _"Right between those two cars…"_

- _"Show off…" _Zell mumbled, as Irvine opened the back door and stepped outside.

- _"Not a bad bit of parking, huh?" _Seifer went on, ignoring Zell, as he switched the engine off _"Y'know, sometimes I amaze even myself…"_

- _"That doesn't sound too hard…"_ Zell muttered, loud enough for Seifer to hear him, as he too, stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

            Seifer locked the car once everyone had come out, glaring at Zell who brushed by him, towards the entrance of the City. The tall blond slipped the car keys into his pocket and followed everyone, quickening his pace. He brushed by Zell, landing a hard slap on the back of his head.

- _"Ow-hey!" _Zell protested, rubbing the back of his head.

            Seifer chuckled and went on, only to feel a sudden sting on his ear; Edea had rushed forward and had grabbed him by the ear, marching towards the entrance of Esthar.

- _"We have a **serious** matter in our hands, and you're acting like five-year-olds!" _she hissed.

- _"**He** started it!" _Seifer whined, wincing, trying to break free.

            Behind them, Irvine and Selphie chuckled. It was quite the sight to watch Seifer being whipped to place by Edea, who was much more than a foot shorter than he was, and certainly less towering. It was, however, very strange to see the always collected and calm Edea lose her temper. It seemed as if Ultimecia's demeanor had rubbed off on her the slightest bit…

- _"Oh suuure…" _Zell scoffed _"Go ahead and tell **mommy** on me…"_

- _"Zell, **shut** it!" _Edea hissed at him as well, making him shut up at once.

            She released Seifer's ear, who clutched it and began rubbing it in comfort, while both he and Zell sulked. Seifer stared up at the sky, turning around. The gigantic black structure was behind them. Setting all childish issues aside, he frowned, deciding to take matters into his hands.

- _"We made it first…" _he said, still looking up at the sky _"But it'll approach the city soon. Come on…" _

            And with those words, he broke into a sprint, closely followed by his four team members.  

* * *

                                                            _:Laughter: Oh, Hyne… I haven't witnessed such moments between Seifer and Zell ever since the orphanage days…_

_                        Oh, trust me… Even now, it's daily routine. I was hoping that in this world we'd all be _

_                        spared of the childish conflicts, but they're still here._

_                                                                                                                                    Oh, Quisty… Some things never change… You should realize that by now…_

_                                    What I'm more intrigued about, is whether **people** ever change…   _

* * *

            Squall made his way down the corridor, following Dr. Piet and a couple of men accompanying him, Quistis always on his side. They soon reached the end of the hallway, where one of the men stepped to the side and motioned to the door in front of him.

- _"Right through this door, please."_ he said.

            Squall, Quistis and Piet walked through the door. Squall looked around his swiftly. This was apparently the 'med lab' Piet had mentioned before. A desk, as well as many high-tech equipment stood around him. A few feet ahead stood a metal door.

- _"Take her inside this room and have her rest."_ Piet said, pointing at the door Squall had just noticed.

            The brown-haired Commander approached the door which instantly slid open, granting them access. Squall stepped over to the bed, gingerly laying Rinoa upon it. He and Quistis pulled the sheets underneath her and covered her. The blonde brushed Rinoa's damp strands away from her face and caressed her forehead gently, looking down at her very new friend with utmost concern. Squall was till fumbling with the sheets, trying to make sure that Rinoa wouldn't feel at the least bit cold. As he'd already noticed, space held none of the familiar warmth of Gaia, and his damp clothing had begun to make him feel uneasily cold. Quistis seemed to share the same thought, as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders tighter.

            Piet stepped inside the small, glass-walled room.

- _"I've talked to my crew. Everything will be alright." _he reassured them _"Come, let's go to the control room."_

He pushed a button, making the thick, metal cover close up above the bed, securing Rinoa's always unconscious form. Squall followed right behind Quistis and the doctor, walking inside the med lab again. Before leaving the room, he glared at one of the men; he was the one who'd been examining Rinoa only a few minutes ago.

- _"You better not do anything to hurt her…"_ Squall threatened, pointing his index finger at him.

- _"Alright, alright."_ the man said, putting his palms up in exasperation _"You're her knight in shining armor. Got it."_

- _"Come on, Squall."_ Quistis muttered, as she exited the room.

* * *

            Seifer skidded to a halt, a trail of sweat running down his forehead. He looked around him apprehensively, among small groups of people staring at the sky behind the city in terror.

- _"There it is!" _Selphie exclaimed, pointing at a sign _"The sign says that way!"_

She broke into a run, following the path the sign reading _'To Dr. Odine's Laboratory' _indicated. Right behind her followed the small group comprised by Seifer, Zell, Irvine and Edea. The bright sunlight and the great distances in between the city's characteristic sites had worn them all out, but they were drawing close to their primary destination. Dr. Odine was considered the greatest scientist of their times and would surely have a say in this urgent matter.

            The quintet stopped before the gates of the building that stood in the end of the path. Seifer stepped up, approaching one of the two sentries standing guard before the entrance. Before he even had a chance to speak, the guard beat him to it, apparently expecting what he was about to say.

- _"Dr. Odine is in the lab."_ he said _"You may pass."_

            Nodding in response, Seifer rushed up the stairs and in through the double doors. He was greeted by the sight of a man, pacing back and forth the corridor, before a pair of doors that were sealed shut. The man looked up at Seifer and the group of people gathered behind him.

- _"Are you here to see the doctor?"_ he asked.

- _"Yes."_ replied Seifer _"We have something very urgent to talk to him about."_

- _"Dr. Odine is in a good mood right now."_ the man said matter-of-factly _"He hasn't been this cheerful in quite a while."_

- _"How come?"_ Seifer asked, frowning.

- _"Through the doors if you please…"_ the man said, avoiding replying Seifer's question.

            The tall blond complied and moved forward, pushing the doors open. He stepped within a vast room that held… nothing at all. Puzzled, the young Commander looked around him. The was indeed nothing inside, except for a small elevator, identical to the one they'd used to enter the Palace a few hours ago. Seifer looked up, towards the ceiling. There was a second floor visible from down here, separated by the rest of the chamber by a sheet of glass.

            Zell walked up to Seifer's side and kneeled down, inspecting the elevator-like device.

- _"I guess we're supposed to take this."_ he said, looking up at Seifer for affirmation. The tall blond shrugged.

- _"Be my guest…"_ he said.

            All five of them moved over to the circular contraption, getting seated upon the tiny couch. Immediately, the elevator rose up and moved towards the 'second floor' Seifer had spotted only seconds ago. It seemed as if they were headed straight for the glass curtain, and Seifer instantly feared they'd done something wrong, as they were going to collide head-on with the glass. However, he was more than surprised to feel his skin make contact with a gelatinous substance, the moment they approached the glass. The elevator slipped right through the 'curtain' separating the two rooms, carrying along all five of its passengers. It hovered in mid-air for a split second, before lowering down to the floor, coming to a stop.

            Somewhat apprehensively, all five of the stepped down, standing before yet another pair of metal doors rising in front of them. Seifer turned and looked at everyone, who merely shrugged, urging him to proceed **_'Here goes nothing…' _**Seifer thought, pushing the doors open.

            Inside the newly visible room, they came across two men conversing, among a flurry of high-tech electronic equipment. Seifer caught glimpse of one of the numerous screens on the panels, showing different sites of the city. A short, weird-looking man was talking right now, dressed in a forget-me-not outfit that the blond would have only thought to be suitable in a circus.     

- _"Why iz Lunatic Pandora here now? Who iz moving zat thing?"_ the man said.

- _"Probably Galbadians, sir."_ replied the other one _"We must sound the alert in the city now!"_

- _"It will not attack us."_ the weird man went on, seemingly oblivious of the small group that was standing only feet next to him _"This city iz not ze target."_

- _"I hope so… I hope you're right."_

- _"But Tear's Point… Hmm?"_

- _"Ahem…"_ Seifer cleared his throat audibly.

            The two men turned around abruptly, only now noticing the presence of other people inside the room. The weird man cast a fleeting look among the group, his eyes stopping upon Edea.

- _"So we meet again."_ he said, addressing Edea _"This iz exciting."_

- _"You know each other?!"_ Seifer said incredulously.

- _"This is Dr. Odine, Seifer."_ Edea informed the blond.

            Seifer continued to stare at the short man with a rather rude expression of surprise plastered on his face **_'_This _is Dr. Odine?! The renown scientific genius?! _Him_?!!!'_**

- _"It's been a long time since I last saw Lunatic Pandora."_ the doctor said matter-of-factly.

- _"Luna whaaaat?"_ Selphie piped in, frowning in bewilderment.

- _"Lunatic Pandora." _Odine repeated firmly.

- _"That Lunatic… whatever, that big thing!" _Zell interrupted _"What the hell is that?! What the hell is going on?!"_

- _"Easy, wuss…" _Seifer said, pushing Zell aside _"Let the grown-ups do the talkin'… Seifer Almasy, Commander of the __Balamb__Garden__ SeeDs." _the blond introduced himself.

            Everyone standing behind him groaned and rolled their eyes.

- _"Show-off…" _Zell said under his breath once more.

- _"So what's the deal with that… Lunatic…Pandora?" _Seifer asked, crossing his arms, obviously not having heard what Zell had just muttered.

- _"Oh! You vant to hear my story?"_ Odine exclaimed in glee _"Zat iz nice. I would be happy to tell you. I've been investigating ze Pandora since it was excavated. So we serviced it…"_ he began rambling.

            Irvine slapped a hand on his forehead, dragging it down his face. This was no time to be listening to that whacko's stories; they had to take **action**…

- _"And investigated…" _Odine went on.

- _"We don't care about that!" _Zell piped in, almost exploding.

- _"Zell…" _Seifer growled, then turned back to Odine _"We're kinda in a hurry here, if you don't mind…" _he said, sighing.

- _"Vat do you vant?"_ Odine asked, sounding offended that he was interrupted.

- _"We want to know what we can do!"_ Selphie exclaimed.

- _"Zat iz what I'm about to say…"_ Odine protested.__

- _"Well hurry on, man! Make it short!" _Irvine urged him. __

- _"Short, eh? Are you sure about zat?"_ Dr. Odine asked, arching an eyebrow at Seifer.__

- _"Yes."_ the blond said firmly _"This is urgent."_

- _"Zat is too bad. Yes, this could be very bad. You vant to go inside to stop it? Then look at zis."_ the doctor said, walking up to one of his contraptions.__

            He placed his fingers upon one of they keyboard panels and began typing in thunder-like speed, until an image appeared on the screen. The man he'd been conversing with earlier, approached and began explaining.

- _"This is a map of the Esthar region." he said. "Lunatic Pandora's current location is here."_

            He pointed at a red dot on the map apparent on the screen, steadily moving towards the city grounds.

- _ Lunatic Pandora's expected course:" _he went on_ "It will undoubtedly pass over the city. Zoom in map." _Immediately, the sound of his voice triggered the machine, causing the map to zoom in to a closer look of the city_ "The city has one outer skyway and two main inner skyways, all leading to the Palace. Lunatic Pandora will head east, from the vicinity of this lab toward the shopping mall. The time it will take to cross the city is estimated to be **20 minutes**. Boarding Lunatic Pandora is possible at the following three contact points:" _the man continued_ "The first contact point is at the center of the city."_

            A new image appeared on the map, indicating the location Odine's assistant was talking about. Seifer vaguely remembered catching glimpse of it during their brief entrance into the city.

- _"It will arrive there five to eight minutes after it enters the city." _the man said._ "The second contact point is unknown. We believe it is where the two skyways cross." _A second image appeared on screen in a new 'window' offering view of two crystal-blue skyways in a junction_ "Lunatic Pandora will arrive there ten to fifteen minutes after it enters the city. The third contact point is north of the shopping mall."_

            The third and last image that appeared, indicated a road similar to all the previous ones, located next to a grand building, which Seifer assumed should be the Shopping Mall.

- _"It will arrive there seventeen minutes after it enters the city. End of briefing." _the assistant finished up.

- _"Zat iz how it goes. I give you this."_ Odine added, handing a map to Seifer _"Ze problem iz…"_

- _"Alright, alright!"_ Zell yelled _"We gotta get goin'!"_

- _"I vant to talk some more…"_ Dr. Odine said stubbornly, crossing his arms.

            Seifer sighed and ran a hand through his hair **_'We just _had_ to bump into Dr. Won't-shut-the-fuck-up, did we?'_** No matter how much they were in a hurry though, what Dr. Odine had to say might as well prove to be useful…

**** 

- _"OK, **fine**…" _Seifer said _"What was it you wanted to say?" _

- _"Ahh, so now you vant to know…"_ Odine said, smirking _"You know zat monsters come falling from ze moon."_

- _"Yes. That's how monsters appeared in Gaia in the first place." _Irvine said matter-of-factly.__

- _ "Not very often that it happens."_ Odine went on_ "Pandora has an effect on ze moon."_

- _"What kind of effect?"_ Seifer asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.__

- _"It draws ze monsters from ze moon. Zat may be ze immediate problem, rather than Galbadia."_ Odine replied"Tear's point and Lunatic Pandora together vill maximize their effect."__

- _"What's this 'Tear's point'?"_ asked Selphie.__

- _"An ancient site, outside __Esthar__City__."_ Edea replied, frowning.__

- _"So we have to stop Lunatic Pandora from reaching Tear's Point and drawing the monsters down from the moon."_ Seifer said.__

- _"Zat iz correct. Just remember zat you can get aboard in ze three contact points I told you about."_ Odine said.__

- _"Alright… Better get goin' then…"_ Seifer said, rushing towards the door.__

- _"Good luck!" _Odine's assistant yelled at them before they disappeared through the doors again.

* * *

            Quistis followed Dr. Piet along the corridors of the Lunar Base, Squall right behind her.

- _"Are you two alright?" _Piet asked _"You're soaked wet and it's very cold up here. We were so preoccupied with your friend, that we didn't take good enough care of you." _

- _"It's alright, we're fine." _Quistis replied _"We just want to see Rinoa up and about again."_

- _"All in due time…" _Piet said reassuringly _"Through this doorway if you please."_

            He motioned at the threshold of a pair of wide open doors, leading inside the main control room of the base. A great amount of personnel was gathered within the control room, working vigorously above complex panels. Quistis stepped inside first, looking around her bewildered.

- _"My goodness!"_ she exclaimed, sprinting towards the glass windows that allowed the glorious view of the moon to show _"Look at how close we are to the moon!"_

- _"This is no time to be impressed"_ said one of the controllers _"Look at the monitor there."_ he added, pointing at the one right above his seat.

- _"This monitor?"_ Quistis asked for affirmation, stepping closer to take a look.

            Squall looked at the monitor Quistis was examining from afar, suddenly interested to what it was that Piet and his co-workers had been so intent on showing them. Reading the curiosity in Squall's eyes, Piet gently pushed him towards the same monitor.

- _"Look at the surface of the moon."_ he urged Squall.

            Squall did as he was told and approached Quistis, looking right above her shoulder and onto the screen.

- _"Quite something, isn't it?" _the girl whispered in awe.

- _"It's really a rare phenomenon."_ said one of the controllers _"You know that huge crater on the Centra continent? It's from the Lunar Cry that occurred over a hundred years ago. It supposedly wiped out the city there."_

- _"The monsters' behavior becomes abnormal when there are irregularities in the moon and the planet's gravitational forces."_ spoke another one _"I guess they're affected just like the tides are affected by the moon. See them clustering at one point? Eventually, they're going to drop down onto the planet. This is called the Lunar Cry."_

            Squall moved over to a pair of binoculars situated right next to the monitor, pointed towards the same direction the screen was showing. Wanting to take a closer look, Squall pressed the 'Zoom' button. Immediately, the view before his eyes became much clearer and what stood out, was a gigantic red cluster, slowly forming upon the surface of the moon, pointing straight down to Gaia. The young Commander pulled away, a bewildered expression plastered on his face **_'The hell is this?!'_**

- _"Monsters…"_ Quistis replied to his unspoken question _"The lunar world is filled with monsters, Squall. I taught you all that, don't you remember?" _she asked, grinning.

- _"Oh, right…" _Squall mumbled, frowning.

- _"Did you see Ellone?"_

            Both Squall and Quistis turned to face Piet who had spoken just now.

- _"No, not yet." _replied Squall _"Where is she?"_

- _"Her room is on the second floor. You can go see her anytime."_ replied Piet.__

* * *

**A/N:** Most of this chapter was stuff you already knew, so I tried to insert a scene of comic relief between Zell and Seifer :-p Don't you just love reading about those two arguing? I know I love writing about it…

Anyway, since the next chapter deals with things that are already known again, I hope you'll forgive me if I take a small 'detour' in the scene between Squall and Rinoa inside the Ragnarok (Chris, this is for you and all the Squinoa fans)

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Squall and Quistis finally meet up with Ellone…_

_Meanwhile, back in Esthar, Seifer gets acquainted with someone…_


	34. Chapter 33: Falling from the sky

**A/N:** Heard complaints about the previous chapter being a tad small… Serves you right to have to tolerate my writing for 13000 words now! MUHAHAHA!****

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Squall and Quistis arrive at the Lunar Base, placing Rinoa under the care of the scientists there. Meanwhile, back in Esthar, Seifer's team meets up with the eccentric Dr. Odine in their struggle to stop Lunatic Pandora. _

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                                            A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                                      By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                                                Chapter 33: Falling from the sky **

* * *

* * *

            Squall sprinted up the small stairway to the second floor of the Lunar Base, closely followed by Quistis. He stepped through the metal door that slid open the moment he approached and, taking a deep breath, entered the room. The small chamber held no more than a bed and a few storing cupboards, but what immediately got his attention was the girl who was sitting upon the bed. He'd seen he before; he'd seen her when he was inside the Infirmary, after a minor injury just before his SeeD exam. He'd seen her for each and every day during his childhood, heard her whispering lullabies with her beautiful voice to him when he couldn't sleep. He heard her within his head, speaking to him when she was sending him back to the past of a different man…

            Ellone.

            With shoulder length, deep brown hair, a 'fresh' face that made her look younger than what she really was, sparkly brown eyes, and a slender form, robed by a long blue skirt, a white blouse and a green shawl to shelter her shoulders from the chilly atmosphere within the Lunar Base.

            Their eyes met once again, only this time Squall never unlocked his gaze from her. It had been too long since he last took the time to look at his Sis. **Really** look at her. He felt Quistis brush by him hastily and saw her run towards Ellone, an expression of glee plastered upon her face.

- _"Ellone!" _Quistis exclaimed, throwing herself into her big sister's wide open arms.

- _"Quisty…" _Ellone said in a sigh, rubbing Quistis's form within her embrace gingerly, shutting her eyes.

            Squall slowly approached the hugging duo, hands folded behind his back. Ellone slid her eyelids open again and smiled warmly at Squall.

- _"Squall, I'm so happy to see you again."_ she said

- _"Me too."_ Squall replied sincerely, trying his best at a smile.

            Quistis slowly withdrew from Ellone's embrace and sat on the bed right next to her. Ellone spent a few moments looking at both of them, a somewhat poignant smile now crossing her features. She caressed Quistis's damp locks with one palm, sighing.

- _"I'm so sorry…"_ she said, shaking her head _"I got you involved in so many things… so much hardship."_

- _"Ellone…" _Quistis said, taking Ellone's hand and encasing it into her palms _"Don't say that."_

- _"It's alright."_ said Squall _"We understand. We understand what you were trying to do. Were we of any help?"_

- _"Of course!"_ Ellone exclaimed, as if stating the obvious _"You were my eyes. Thanks to you guys, I was able to see how much I was loved. I couldn't change the past but just seeing it was more than enough. Thank you so much."_

- _"You're welcome," _said Quistis _"But we really did nothing much…"_

- _"Listen, Ellone. We came here because we need your help."_ said Squall, not wasting another second to get to the point _"You said you can't change the past, right?"_

- _"You can find out things about the past you never knew."_ Ellone replied "_And from what you've learned, you may see some things differently in the present. You're the one that changes. Not the past."_

- _"Really? There's no way to change the past?"_ Squall asked her, obviously quite dejected by her answer. Ellone shook her head in negation _"No, I want to find out myself."_ Squall persisted _"Take me to Rinoa's past. I need to see the past through Rinoa. I want to find out what happened to her, and I want to try to warn her…"_

- _"Who is Rinoa?" _Ellone asked.__

- _"She's a girl we met recently and she's become one of us." _Quistis replied _"But she's in deep danger now. We can all see it… She has been in a coma for weeks and won't come back to us."_

- _"So, you want to save her."_ Ellone corrected Squall _"You don't want to lose Rinoa."_ She sighed_ "Squall, I can't. I don't know Rinoa. I told you I can only send people I know in the present into people I knew in the past."_

- _"I brought Rinoa with me."_ Squall said hopefully _"She's resting in the med lab. Please come with me."_

- _"Alright." _Ellone said half-heartedly.__

            She didn't want to give Squall false hopes, only to see them crushing down before his very eyes, hurting him once again. She didn't know if there was any way to help Rinoa. If there was, she'd give her whole self to try and bring her back, but she shuddered at the thought of not being able to do anything to ease her little brother's hurting.

            Because he was in pain. She could see it in his eyes. The blue within them was always stormy, dark, but it was different now. He seemed tired.

            **Too** tired.

            Too tired to go on… without her. __

* * *

            Seifer rushed outside the laboratory doors, a plastic roll held tight within his right hand. Closely followed by Edea and the rest of his peers, he stopped in his tracks and rolled the map Dr. Odine had given him open. He was shocked to find nothing but a blank empty rectangle and few dots concentrated on the lower right corner of the transparent map. But other than that, nothing at all.

- _"That old fucking fraud!" _Seifer hissed, almost crashing the map in his tight grip _"This map's a fake!"_

            He made a move to rush back inside, before a hand held him back in place from the shoulder.

- _"Wait a second!" _Selphie said _"Roll it open again."_

- _"What the hell for?" _Seifer growled at her, frowning.__

- _"Just roll the damned thing open…" _Selphie said wearily.__

            Glaring at her, Seifer almost ripped the map open, thrusting it over to her. Selphie held it open and examined the dots on the lower right corner. She squinted, only seconds before pressing a small green dot. She felt her finger sink into the plastic fabric the slightest bit, before a see-through hologram emerged from the map almost magically. All of them took a step back in surprise, as the hologram swiftly took shape and hovered an inch above the plastic roll. An exact replica of the city of Esthar had unfolded before their very eyes, completely transparent, with grey edges outlining every structure and road in the city. Three tiny red orbs were shining in different places of the hologram, while a small reverse timer was counting backwards to zero, right next to the buttons, into the so far blank rectangle. It read 18:56.

            Selphie gave Seifer a superior smirk as she held the map.

- _"Gimme that!"_ Seifer snapped, snatching the map from Selphie's hands.

            He took a few seconds examining it, while everyone bent over his shoulders, trying to take a look at it as well.

- _"I'm guessing the red orbs show the three contact points Odine told us about." _Selphie piped in.

            Seifer just ignored her and the murmur of consent that was heard from everyone on account of Selphie's idea. He heard the faint whisper of Irvine's voice.

- _"You're so smart, Sefie!"_ the cowboy said grinning, wrapping his arms around his beaming girlfriend.

            Seifer's attention left the map for a split second, as his facial features screwed into a frown and his eyes narrowed.

- _"If you two start snogging **now**, I'm demoting your sorry asses two Ranks down." _he growled.

- _"I'm not a SeeD to be demoted, **Commander**," _Irvine sneered _"And you'll have me to answer to before you do anything to Sefie." _he added firmly.

- _"Right then." _Seifer said, looking up _"It's **five** Ranks down for Messenger-Girl and I'm making sure you're never making SeeD, cowboy." _ 

- _"I'd like to see you try!" _Selphie piped in, crossing her arms.

- _"Oh, you **will**!" _Seifer said smirking, eyes glinting maliciously.

- _"Children!" _Edea scolded.

- _"We've got a big-ass black building to chase around Esthar before it gets to Tear's Point, you know!" _Zell said matter-of-factly.

            Seifer turned around to face him and was about to retort when Edea covered the blond's mouth with one palm.

- _"Zell is right!" _she said _"Now, Seifer… Be a grown up and face your duty as a Commander!"_

            Muttering incoherent curses under his breath, Seifer gave the map one last look and scanned the area around them. The timer on the map read 17:00. He pressed the red button on the lower right corner of the plastic map, making the hologram disappear and rolled the map closed.

- _"The first contact point is this way." _he said, pointing towards their far right _"We have two minutes before it arrives and five before it leaves the location. Come on."_

* * *

            The stars shone brightly like glitter outside the Lunar Base, surrounding it with tranquility, peace.

            And within a glass room, a girl stood still, induced into deep slumber. Her long raven locks engulfed her pale cheeks, and her usually rosy lips were sealed shut and pale as well. Almost blue. Her cold hands were crossed upon her chest, in the same grim position they lay still for so long now… Her already frail, slender body seemed even more fragile, not having been set in motion in weeks.

            Within her calm and peaceful mind, flashes of memories flew with the speed of bullets, filling her otherwise serene, deep sleep with distractions. But suddenly, it all stopped. A familiar by now sensation took over her body, trying to awaken her once more. Trying to make her stain her purge hands with the blood of the innocent one more time. The grey, metal cover that had been securing and keeping her warm slid open mechanically and she felt her body rise up.

            The voice inside her head was getting strong. It was tormenting her.

            It was telling her to rise…

            And kill again…

* * *

            Seifer came into a halt, panting. He had stopped right before a small stairway and was just now rolling the map open once again.

- _"No need to do that…" _Irvine said, resting a palm on the blond's shoulder _"We're in the right place."_

Seifer closed the map and looked towards the area Irvine was pointing at. Swallowing with difficulty, he slipped the map inside his coat pocket and stared at the sight before him in awe.

            Lunatic Pandora was approaching in steady pace. The towering building was gliding into the air, slowly casting its shadow upon the usually luminous city, rendering it into darkness. Panicked yelps and shrieks could be heard coming from all directions, belonging to fear-stricken citizens who watched in horror as danger was drawing near their homes, without so much of a warning.

- _"It's heading for the center!"_ yelled Zell, running up the stairway first.

            The quintet rushed towards the main skyway, where the building was headed. Soon, they were all brought 'face-to-face' with the terror Rinoa had managed to unleash only hours ago from the depths of the ocean. Seifer was at loss for words; Lunatic Pandora rose in full height before him, towering, menacing, with its amber 'veins' cascading through its midst like ominous snakes and its weird shaman symbols carved upon its length.

- _"Oh… Man…"_ Zell spoke in a hushed whisper next to him. He, too, couldn't quite phrase what was standing before their very eyes.

- _"Holy Hyne…"_ Selphie croaked out.

- _"We're supposed to get on this thing…?"_ Irvine said incredulously.

            And Seifer couldn't really blame him. Aside from the belittling magnitude of Pandora that had caused his disbelief, no entrance could be seen in the vicinity. How were they supposed to board it, let alone enter it? **Claw** their way upon it?!

            Right beside Seifer, Zell seemed to be sharing the same thoughts. He was desperately trying to find a way to enter Lunatic Pandora. Just then, his eyes caught sight of a rectangle outline on the surface of the structure. It looked as if something was etched deeply upon the exterior. Thinking quickly, he dug his hand deep into Seifer's pocket.

- _"Hey-hey-hey!" _Seifer protested, trying to nudge him away _"What the hell do you think you're doin'?"_

- _"I need a bullet…" _Zell mumbled, going on rummaging through Seifer's pocket.__

- _"What for?!" _Seifer growled at him.__

- _"Just to test something. There aren't any stones around here…" _Zell said, finally pulling his hand out.__

            One of Hyperion's grand silver bullets was now glistening in his palm. Zell clenched his fist and closed one eye while sticking his tongue out, trying to aim.

- _"I hope you know what you're doin' Wuss, cause these don't come out cheap…" _Seifer mumbled under his breath.

- _"Dammit! Trust me for once in your life, will ya?!" _Zell said exasperated, still trying to aim.

            When having locked his target properly, he finally threw the bullet. It flew from his palm, heading right for the middle of the carved rectangle upon Lunatic Pandora's lower edge. The bullet was just about to hit the stone surface when the rectangular shape almost magically withdrew upwards. Like a… door. The bullet glided right into the building and the door mechanically closed behind it.

            Seifer arched both eyebrows.

- _"It's a door!" _Edea exclaimed.

- _"Lots of 'em!" _Selphie squealed, pointing at similar rectangular carvings on Lunatic Pandora's surface _"There's our chance to get in!"_  

            She stood right behind Irvine's back and hopped upon it, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Then she began climbing upon his shoulders.

- _"Sefie…" _Irvine groaned _"What are you-?"_

- _"Hold still, Irvy!" _she chirped, carefully standing onto his shoulders, while holding on to him at the same time.__

            Irvine held her hands, groaning. He rolled his eyes, only to stop them in mid-movement. He raised his head up the slightest bit, grinning. Above him, Selphie caught glimpse of where his gaze was locked upon. Frowning, she gave him a hard kick on the side on the head.

- _"**Stop** looking up my dress!" _she hissed at him, turning her attention back towards Pandora.

            She waited for a couple of seconds, until another door made its appearance. She bit her lower lip, getting ready and kicked off hard from Irvine's shoulders, soaring in mid-air towards the door. Irvine let out a grunt and fell with a thud to the ground, barely catching glimpse of the door closing behind Selphie. Not a second had passed, before it flew open again and Selphie's head and arms reappeared.

- _"Matron, c'mon!" _she called, extending her arms _"I'll catch you!"_

            Determinedly, Edea began running along Lunatic Pandora's trail. When she caught up with Selphie, she took a few steps back and jumped towards her. Selphie caught her wrists and grabbed on to them tightly. For a second, Edea slipped down a bit, causing Seifer to take a few rushed steps forward in anxiety. However, Edea secured the grip by holding on to Selphie's wrists as well. The girl swiftly pulled her up to the entrance and into safety, as the door slid open behind the Matron's black dress.

- _"Wow…"_ Seifer admired _"She's strong…"_ Irvine sighed __

- _"You have **no** idea…" _he said dreamily.__

            Zell and Seifer both looked at Irvine with disgust written all over their faces.

- _"I won't even **ask** what you're referring to…" _Zell said, touching his stomach with one palm. Seifer was about to chuckle when he remembered they were in the middle of a mission. He shook himself mentally.

- _"Go, go!" _he urged Zell and Irvine, shoving Zell on the back from behind.__

            Zell and Irvine made a run for the door through which Selphie and Edea had entered, preparing to board the building as well. Soon, they both disappeared through the sliding stone wall as well.

            Seifer secured his Hyperion suspending from his belt and quickly scanned the surface of Pandora for the next available door. When he found it, he began trotting along its trail like Edea had done before. At the right moment, he took a few steps back and sprinted along the width of the skyway. When he reached the edge, he jumped up high, slicing the air like a feline. He had the impression he was about to crash head first into the concrete wall into a mass of goo and be scraped off the surface later on like a damned insect, only a second before the wall disappeared before him and granted him entrance.

            In reflex, Seifer threw his bodyweight downwards. He secured his head under his arms, while he spun a bit in mid-air, landing with the curve of his back onto the floor. He rolled forward, landing onto his knees. He opened his eyes wide, looking around him apprehensively. He had barely managed to familiarize with the dark, dusty corridor he had landed into, before the door behind him slid closed, rendering his vision lost within the darkness.

- _"Oh, fuck…" _he mumbled, getting up to his feet.

            He dusted his trench coat off reverently and removed one leather glove, running a hand through his hair. Slipping the glove back on, he took out Hyperion; danger was more than close. He could almost smell it in the stagnant air… Looking down to his right, he saw a faint light in the vicinity. The corridor went further down. His peers had probably ended up somewhere down that hallway.

            Clenching his grip onto his gunblade, he sprinted down the dark corridor and towards the light.

* * *

            Irvine shook the dust off his hat and put it back on, tipping it to the right angle. Next to him, Zell was rubbing his sore from the fall neck, while Selphie and Edea were standing before them.

- _"Where's Seifer?"_ Edea asked.

- _"Dunno…" _Zell said, looking around him _"He urged us to go on, but I didn't see him follow us. Maybe he came through a different door?"_ he suggested.

- _"Well, c'mon, let's go f-" _began Selphie, hopping up and down the balls of her feet, but was immediately cut off.

            Out of the shadows, the nozzle of a shotgun had protruded, and was now stuck right upon her neck. Selphie slowly wheeled around, taking a few steps back, as the figure to whom the weapon belonged to came in sight. A Galbadian soldier, clad in the standard deep blue uniform had approached them, holding a shotgun right against Selphie's neck.

- _"Going somewhere?" _he sneered at them.

            A guard. And an important detail they'd failed to predict among their anxiety to reach and board Lunatic Pandora before it left the city. The building was bound to be infested by Galbadians, who had obviously taken it over to use to their advantage.

- _"Hands up where I can see them or 'Bouncy' here gets it." _the guard threatened, motioning with his head towards Selphie _"And **NO** tricks…"_

- _"Who're you callin' 'Bouncy'?!"_ Selphie protested, frowning, while everyone behind her rose their arms up slowly.

- _"**Hands**. **Up**." _the Galbadian repeated, thrusting the point of the gun deeper into Selphie's neck.

            The brunette grunted and reluctantly rose her hands up as well.

- _"You're not gonna get away with this, you know!" _Selphie growled at the guard.

- _"Oh, really?" _said the man, chuckling _"I thought we already had…"_

            Grinning wickedly, he slowly released one hand from the grip of the weapon and reached down to his belt, while still keeping a close eye upon his four captives. Irvine glared at the guy ominously, but something else caught his attention just then. Right behind the Galbadian, he saw a shadow creeping towards them. The little light within the small room fell upon a metallic surface, causing it to glint. Black-grey metal. And soon enough, he caught view of a red Fire-Cross emblazoned on the sleeve of a long trench coat make its appearance.

            Irvine almost got carried away, but managed to stifle a grin just in time. He knew then what he had to do… He turned his attention back towards the Galbadian, who had by now taken out a portable radio from his belt and was about to turn it on. Irvine screwed his facial features into a panicked expression.

- _"Wait, wait!" _he said hurriedly, looking at the Galbadian fear-stricken _"Please don't kill me! Take **them**," _he said, motioning with his head to his peers and Edea _"But don't hurt **me**! I'll tell you where to find Ellone!"_

            The Galbadian immediately looked up at him. Selphie turned around abruptly.

- _"Irvy, what are you **doing**?!"_ she hissed at him.

- _"Well, what the hell did you expect?!" _Irvine said disdainfully _"I'm a Galbadian, I could never side with you and betray my own kind!"_

- _"You're a Galbadian?!" _the guard said incredulously.__

- _"Yeah!" _Irvine said desperately, grinning _"I'm from __Galbadia__Garden__. __Irvine__ Kinneas. Check my name in the databases; it's there, I'm telling the truth!"_

- _"Irvy!" _Selphie said, tears streaming down her face _"I thought you were one of us! How **could** you?!"_

- _"Why, you sniveling… cowardly…" _Zell growled, gritting his teeth.__

- _"Say what you want, I'm sticking with my people!" _Irvine insisted proudly. He couldn't bear the sight of Selphie in tears, or one of his friends thinking he was a fake, but he had to hold on for a few more seconds…__

            The cowboy saw Seifer out of the corner of his eye, slowly approaching the Galbadian from behind. The only one else who saw him, however, was Edea. Her, so far disappointed by Irvine's behavior, eyes lightened up in glee. Seifer was getting closer and closer… Just a bit more…

- _"Listen," _Irvine told the guard _"Take **them** and I'll come with you and tell you all about Ellone's whereabouts. If you don't trust me, you can take my weapon. I won't fight back." _Irvine went on, trying to make the guard believe his story.

- _"IF I **EVER** GET MY HANDS ON YOU AGAIN, KINNEAS, YOU'RE **DEAD** BEFORE YOU CAN SAY-"_ Zell began to shout, but was immediately interrupted.__

            The long, dark grey blade of Hyperion slid right next to the guard's neck, stopping only a millimeter before skin. Seifer's smirking face emerged from the shadows. The Galbadian's lips parted.

- _"Nice try, but it'll take a **lot** more before you can actually stand the slightest chance against **us**…"_ came Seifer's sneering voice.

            Realization then dawned on Selphie and Zell. Both their eyebrows arched up.

- _"Now," _Seifer spoke again, Hyperion inching closer to the guard's neck _"We'll make ourselves a deal here, shall we? You can a) Drop your weapon **now**, or b) Have the privilege of seeing your blood spraying the wall in front of you before your head rolls down on the floor." _The Galbadian swallowed audibly _"What will it be then?" _asked Seifer _"A? Or B?" _he finished, sinking Hyperion deeper against the man's throat, making a small trail of blood run down his neck. 

            The man slowly lowered his arms down, throwing his shotgun onto the floor.

- _"Zell, get the shotgun." _Seifer said, motioning at the fallen weapon with his head.

            Zell bent down and picked up the gun, pointing it at the Galbadian, grinning. Seifer used his free arm to grab the back of the man's shirt, while he kept Hyperion in its initial position.

- _"Move." _he ordered firmly.

            The soldier began pacing forward in trembling steps. He felt Seifer's grip hold him back when they reached the door. The wall slid open once again. Seifer shoved the man forward, always holding the back of his shirt. He held him so that he was facing the endless abyss that lay beneath Lunatic Pandora. The man's eyes widened in terror.

- _"I'm terribly sorry, but we **really** must dash now, so we'd appreciate it if you would rid us of your otherwise pleasant company." _Seifer sneered, yanking the man back up to his feet _"Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out, now…"_

            And with those words, he gave the Galbadian a hard kick on the butt. A loud shriek filled their ears when the man disappeared from sight, but was muffled the moment the door slid down once more. Smirking, Seifer rested Hyperion onto his shoulder and turned to face the others.

- _"Good one, cowboy." _he addressed Irvine, then turned towards Zell. The tall blond arched an eyebrow _"You, too." _he added, referring to Zell's discovery about the entrance to Pandora only a few minutes ago.

            It took Zell some time to process what exactly Seifer had said to him, but Selphie's voice brought him out of his trance.

- _"So… **That's** why you said you were going to reveal Ellone's hide-out?" _she addressed Irvine, eyes wide open _"You had seen Seifer?"_

- _"Kinda…" _Irvine said, grinning, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.__

- _"So you were trying to buy him time?" _Selphie went on _'You weren't betraying us?"_

- _"Sorry, man…" _Zell said sincerely _"I shouldn't have doubted you…"_

- _"Hey, it's OK…" _Irvine said, shrugging _"I can understand how you felt…"_

- _"Oh, Irvy!" _Selphie said, bringing her palms to her mouth _"I'm **soooo** sorry! I thought you were-"_

- _"It's alright, Sefie…" _Irvine said, grinning, touching her cheek with a crooked finger.__

- _"But you gave that Galbadian your real name!" _Selphie continued _"You almost revealed your part in this!"_

- _ "Well…" _Irvine said _"I had to risk it… What if he contacted G-Garden to see if I was telling the truth? I had to make him trust me…"_

- _"Oh, Irvy! You're so brave!!!" _Selphie squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.__

            She grabbed his cheeks in both palms and brought his lips down to hers fiercely, making the cowboy lose balance for a second, from the intensity of the kiss. Edea laughed whole-heartedly at the sight, wiping a tear of joy from the corner of her eyes. Seifer rolled his eyes, but the hint of a grin was apparent on his face. He strode over to the kissing couple and grabbed Irvine by the collar, dragging him towards the steps ahead of them. Selphie still hadn't unglued herself from him.

- _"Stop snogging, dammit!" _Seifer growled _"We have work to do!"_

            Selphie momentarily withdrew her lips from Irvine's, who seemed somewhat dazed.

- _"You're just jealous that Quisty isn't here!" _she spat at him playfully and promptly stuck her lips like a leech upon Irvine's once again.__

            Zell and Edea's suppressed chuckles did nothing to help ease Seifer's anger right now. Face red from fury and/or embarrassment, he kept on dragging Irvine up the stairs, Selphie's weight always on top of him as well… __

 __

* * *

            Ellone followed Squall and Quistis down the stairs outside her room. The young girl tightened her shawl around her cold shoulders, rubbing her bare arms in warmth. Squall's boots reached the metal ground and his feet began to take him towards the Med Lab, where Rinoa was kept. No sooner had he taken the first step down the hallway, when a siren began to wail furiously and a blinding red light surrounded them.  

- _"What's going on?"_ Squall wondered out loud, looking around him.

            His question was immediately answered by the voice of a crew member speaking through the PA of the base.

_            **Red Alert! Red Alert! All units report to med lab, stat!**_

- _"Med lab… "_ Squall muttered, a cold shiver running down his spine at the sound of these words _"Rinoa?!"_ His eyes widened _"I'll check it out! It doesn't look good. Ellone, you'd better go wait in the control room."_ he addressed his Sis.

- _"OK."_ Ellone complied, nodding _"Be careful, alright?"_

- _"I will."_ he said hurriedly _"Quistis, please take care of Ellone."_ he told his blonde peer.

- _"Don't worry."_ Quistis told him firmly _"You just go see if Rinoa is alright."_

            Quistis grabbed Ellone's palm and sprinted towards the control room, casting one last fleeting look behind her. She saw Squall run down the corridor in frenzy. She bit her bottom lip **_'Hyne help us all…'_**

****

****

****

* * *

            Seifer hurried down one of the numerous pipe-like corridors of the interior of Lunatic Pandora. They had been wandering around the gigantic structure for a good five minutes and he was more than certain they were lost. They had sneaked past the occasional guard, so as not to cause any alarms to go off, but other than that, they had come across nothing else. No control room to stop Lunatic Pandora's trail, no nothing.

            Just when he'd lost all hope, they came across an open clearing. Two exits were visible. One was right ahead of them, under a grand threshold, while the other was visible high up the structure. They'd have to climb up a few ladders and pipes to get up there. It seemed like the most logical course to follow; the other trail seemed far too easy, but they had to check both. He decided t follow the easy path for starters…

- _"Let's check the one right ahead first."_ he informed everyone and strode forward.

            He was forced to stop dead in his tracks, however, when a weird, metal, robot-like creature lowered down before them. It seemed to be comprised by three parts; the middle one, was long and apparently the main body of whatever it was that was hovering in front of them. The other two, were attached to its sides, like orbs. Seifer frowned.

- _"What the…?" _he muttered.

- _"The hell is that?!"_ Zell piped in.

- _"Shall we… go for it?"_ Edea suggested hesitantly

- _"I… suppose so…"_ Seifer replied, shrugging.

            He took the first step to the front, but the moment he did, an invisible force lifted him high up into the air. He lost footing and performed an involuntary flip in mid-air, only to see that everyone else had been levitated as well. Bewildered, he felt every inch of his body grow numb and rigid.

- _"M-my body…"_ Irvine croaked out, speaking everyone's current thoughts _"I can't move?!"_

            All five of them found themselves being brought down to the ground with unimaginable force, while a giant trapdoor slid open underneath them. Five shrieks still echoed among the walls of the chamber when the trapdoor closed again behind them.

            Before he had realized what had happened, Seifer felt his back make hard contact with the smooth ground underneath him. Groaning, he opened his eyes. The familiar sight of the city of Esthar unfolded around him once again. Mechanically, he ran his hands all over his body, making sure nothing had gone amiss during the fall. His palm finally brushed over his crotch. He let out a sigh of relief after making sure 'everything' was in place and slowly aided himself up.

            Edea, Zell, Irvine and Selphie were sprawled around him as well, trying to get up. Seifer offered Edea his hand, helping her up.

- _"Everyone alright?" _he asked.

            A round of grunts came as a reply. Dusting his clothes off, Seifer looked at the horizon, watching the massive building of what was the Lunatic Pandora glide away. Zell rose up in full height next to him. 

- _"Dammit!  Kills me to let' em go!"_ he hissed.

- _"Looks like we have no choice but to fall back for now…" _Selphie mumbled.

- _"The Lunar Cry…" _Edea said in a hushed voice.

- _"It might not be safe to be outside…" _Seifer said, frowning _"Matron, you should return to the Palace immediately."_

- _"What will you do?" _Edea asked Seifer.

- _"I'll stay back and have a talk with Odine. I wanna know what is possible to happen now… If there's any way we can still stop the Lunar Cry." _Seifer replied _"Who's coming with me?"_

- _"I will!" _Selphie offered sportingly, springing one hand up into the air.

- _"Alright." _Seifer said, nodding.

            He turned and looked at Zell. His previous words came back in mind…

_            Dammit! Trust me for once in your life, will ya?!_

- _"Zell." _Seifer said, arching an eyebrow _"I'm leaving you responsible. Make sure Edea gets back to the Palace safely. You, too, __Irvine__."_

            The tall blond had allowed Edea's fate to rest in both men's hands, but the responsibility obviously fell more upon Zell's shoulders. Zell seemed to realize that, as his baby blue eyes widened up in surprise. He'd have expected a gesture like that from Squall, but Seifer?! He almost didn't dare believe what he'd just heard…

- _"Are we clear on that?" _Seifer asked Zell, crossing his arms.

- _"Yeah…" _Zell said breathlessly _"Yeah…" _he repeated more firmly, snapping out of his daze _"Leave it up to me!"_

- _"I am." _Seifer said _"Come on, Selphie." _

And with those words, he turned his heel and followed the path towards Dr. Odine's lab, Selphie right behind him.

* * *

            Squall ran down the hallway as fast as he could. He could almost feel his legs begin to detach from his body. He was getting closer to the Med Lab… And closer…

            His feet came into an abrupt halt, making him slide the slightest bit onto the smooth metal ground, the moment he saw a man being thrown out of the room. He flew in mid-air for a split second, before being knocked out cold by hitting onto the wall behind him. Squall's senses immediately hit red. Something **very** bad was going on… His fears were confirmed very soon, the moment he saw Rinoa exit through the threshold.

            His irises dilated. He'd seen Rinoa act like this before. Just once… In the Deep Sea Research Center. She was walking around limply, like a puppet being commanded by strings that were controlled from high up in the air, by an unknown force. Her body was glowing with that notorious red aura once again. But her eyes were closed shut. Desperate, Squall made a run towards her. He extended his arm to try and touch her, but he felt his insides freeze almost to death.

            A surge of a strange force, similar to electricity, run underneath his every fiber, making his heart stop beating for a second and, before he knew it, he was thrown backwards and against the wall as well. Groaning, he tried to get back up on his feet and slid his eyes open **_'Rinoa… What happened to you?'_**

            Rinoa kept hopping in tip-toes, like a grim puppet, making her way down the corridor and towards the control room. With great difficulty, Squall rose up and ran as fast as his sore limbs allowed him to. He couldn't let her slip away from him again… Not this time… He had to hurry… Hurry… And ignore the numb pain…

            Struggling, he reached the control room, following the trail of transparent red illusions of herself Rinoa left behind her with each step. Grasping onto the sides of the doorway, Squall inched his way inside the control room. Everyone had fallen to the ground, others unconscious, others utterly terrified; they had obviously tried to stop Rinoa like he had done before **_'Quistis… And Ellone… Where are they?!' _**Squall's mind screamed at him. His eyes scanned the semi-darkened room, illuminated only by the red light of the alarm and Rinoa's glowing aura. He found the two girls onto the floor, locked into a tight embrace once again. Only this time, Ellone had buried her head into Quistis's arms, the latter trying to protect her with every ounce of strength that was left inside her.

            The blonde's eyes immediately caught Squall's limping form.   

- _"Squall!" _she shouted _"Something's wrong with Rinoa! She's acting just like…"_

            The young Instructor didn't finish her sentence; she knew by his expression that Squall knew exactly what she was talking about. At the sound of Squall's name, Ellone turned around, only to see Rinoa approaching the panels.

- _"No!"_ the brunette shrieked.

- _"That is Adel's Tomb's seal Deactivation Device!"_ Dr. Piet grunted from the ground; he too, was badly hurt.

            Squall struggled his way towards Rinoa, but it was too late… A mechanized voice sounded within the room, barely audible over the deafening sound of the wailing siren.

_            Adel's Tomb Level 1 Seal Deactivated. Level 1 Seal has been deactivated._

- _"No! There's only one seal left!"_ Piet yelled through the madness reigning inside the control room _"Adel will revive if the seal is broken!"_

Squall mustered all his force and rushed towards Rinoa. He slipped his arms around hers from the back, trying to lock them into a tight grip. Energy from her aura filled him to the core once more and all he could feel was pain… Excruciating pain… He let out a scream, but never let go. He clenched his teeth and, breathing heavily, continued to try and keep Rinoa back. The spirit within her though, had no intention of leaving its plan unfinished…

            Another, more powerful surge of electricity-like force penetrated him once again. The pain became unbearable. But he couldn't let go… Not again… He wouldn't make the same mistake once more **_'Hold… On… I… Need to… Hold… On…'_**

            One last breath escaped his lips, as his grip on Rinoa finally loosened up. And then he knew no more…

            His body fell limply onto the ground, in front of Quistis and Ellone. The brunette let out a breathless gasp.

- _"No…" _she choked out.

            Quistis's eyes widened. No… This couldn't be happening… **_'No.' _**she told herself firmly **_'This _WON'T_ happen! I won't allow it!' _**Crawling her way onto the floor, she reached Squall's side. She lifted herself up with difficulty and rested her head onto Squall's chest **_'Come on… Come on… I need a damned heartbeat!' _**Nothing. Pursing her lips, she grabbed his wrist and pressed both fingers against the vein. She could hear her own heart beating wildly within her chest, her breath echoing deafeningly even among the sound of shrieks and the siren above them **_'Squall, if you give up _now_, I'll never forgive you, you selfish son-of-a-bitch!' _**she thought, pressing her fingers against his skin tighter **_'We all got into this together and by Hyne, we'll _finish_ it together! Don't go chickening out on me now…'_**

            Thump.

            Quistis chuckled in disbelief and utter surprise. A heartbeat. A faint one, but a **real** heartbeat. Beside her, Ellone was standing totally still, covering her mouth with both palms, her face pale with horror. The blonde looked up at her.

- _"Ellone, hold his head up for me."_Quistis said, aiding herself up, wincing in pain.

            Ellone complied immediately. She kneeled right above the space where Squall's head had been resting and placed it upon her lap.

- _"Close his nose and open his mouth." _Quistis said, digging a hand into her pocket. Ellone did as she was told.

- _"Look!"_ she said, motioning to the glass window _"The moon's surface is changing!"_

            Taking out a pair of tiny bottles, Quistis turned her gaze outside. The red patch that had so far been almost non-visible with the naked eye had grown tremendously. Quistis shuddered to think what it would look like through the telescope.

- _"It's overflowing with monsters…"_ Quistis muttered.

- _"The Lunar Cry is starting…" _Piet said _"We definitely have to stop her. If she plans to free Adel, she'll have to go out there. The Level2 Seal is located on Adel's Tomb."_

- _"I'm working on it…" _Quistis mumbled, turning her attention back to Squall.__

            Still groaning in pain, the blonde brought the bottle that contained red fluid to her lips. Phoenix Down. She pulled the cork off with her teeth and spat it away.

- _"Hold his mouth open now…" _she whispered to Ellone, as she placed the bottle against Squall's pale lips.

            She poured the red fluid right into the young Commander's mouth. Ellone immediately raised his chin up, to aid the fluid move down his throat and into his stomach. The young boy remained still for a split second, before drawing a chocked breath and cracking his eyes wide open. His body convulsed once, making his chest arch up. Both Quistis and Ellone chuckled in joy, seeing him conscious once more. Squall closed his eyes, visibly in pain, and groaned.

- _"What's so damned funny?" _he croaked out. Ellone reached down and placed a kiss on his forehead, running a hand through his hair. Squall blushed from the sudden attention.

- _"You." _Quistis replied to his previous question _"You're being such a damned Drama King…" _she said, while wincing. She uncorked the other bottle that held the bright yellow fluid _"If you wanted to faint, you should have just gone ahead and done so… No need to make an overly dramatic fall like that one…"_

- _"Funny…" _Squall grunted, unwillingly swallowing the yellow fluid of the bottle shoved under his nose once again _"Yech… Disgusting…" _he said, frowning.

            It took less than a second for the Elixir to take effect. A bright flash appeared within Squall's blue eyes for a moment, like a spark. He felt his strength returning to him, bit by bit, in tremendous speed. And right then, it hit him…

- _"Where's Rinoa?!" _he hissed.

- _"She'll try and break the Level2 Seal of Adel's Tomb." _Quistis informed him, wincing. It was obvious it ached her to even talk _"You're the only one who can stop her now. Go!"_

            Squall needn't be told twice; he rose up to his feet immediately. He skidded down to the threshold, before turning around one last time.

- _"What about you?" _he asked Quistis.

- _"I'll be fine!" _Quistis insisted, digging her hand into her pocket once more _"I have another Elixir with me. I'll share it with Ellone. Hurry, Squall! You're losing precious time!"_  

* * *

            Panting, Squall looked around the corridor he had run into.

- _"Look! The moon!!!"_ yelled one of the researchers standing around him.

            Squall pressed his hands against the large glass window before him. The moon was glowing strangely and its face was almost completely red, with a blue centre. The centre was full of monsters, growling viciously. They were all headed in the same direction. The blue centre begun to create a bulge. It reached out from the moon, pointing at Earth. The bulge suddenly seemed to burst, and the monsters fell like rain through space towards the planet in a spectacular blood-red pillar.

- _"Tons of monsters!"_ said another man breathlessly _"I… I believe they're headed for Tear's Point in Esthar…"_

            Cursing inwardly, Squall landed a hard punch onto the glass window and ran towards two men who were looking at the sight in awe.

- _"Have you seen a girl come by?"_ Squall panted.

- _"Yes."_ replied one of the men _"She went into that locker room."_

            Not standing still another second, Squall broke into a run once again, heading for the locker room the man from the crew had informed him about. He had lost much time within the control room and Rinoa had gotten a good head-start. If he wasn't fast enough, he could lose her for mere seconds.

            Sprinting inside the locker room, Squall saw the door of a small chamber get sealed shut. Through the glass wall, he saw a person clad in a grey and orange space suit open another door, obviously leading outside.

- _"Rinoa…" _he whispered.

            Throwing himself upon the glass, he began banging it hard, trying to catch her attention.

- _"Rinoa!" _he yelled, banging even harder _"RINOA!"_

            But the girl disappeared through the door**_ 'Damn! I need a space suit.' _**thought Squall, looking around him frantically. His eye caught a pair of storage cabinets. Yanking one of them open, he found a suit similar to Rinoa's hanging inside. The linings on this one were blue. Hoping it fit him, Squall swiftly slid his legs into the pants of the uniform and zipped the top part shut, securing it with every buckle upon it. Lastly, he grabbed the helmet and twisted it safe.

            He rushed into the small chamber Rinoa had entered seconds before and heard the door behind him lock. It only became accessible again when he exited through the other door.

            The moment he walked through the doorway, he was brought into a gigantic, completely empty chamber. A large metal door right ahead had just slid closed and three people in grey and blue space suits were hovering next to it. But no sign of Rinoa. Squall began struggling to move through the air, kicking hard on the metal wall behind him. The moment he began floating within the air though, he saw one of the men motioning him to stop.

- _"The gate is closed!" _came his muffled cry _"Are you looking for the girl?"_

- _"Yes!" _Squall yelled back _"Where is she?!"_

- _"She passed through! You can't go out now, it's locked!" _the man called again.

            Cursing, Squall turned around and re-opened the door to the confined chamber. He kept it open for a few seconds, until the three men reached the threshold as well. The last one to come in, closed the door behind him. Squall stepped outside the small chamber, closely followed by the three other men.

            One of them, turned to the man standing in the middle. 

- _"It's much too dangerous now, Mr. President! We must leave the Lunar Base at once_!" he said

- _"We have to evacuate!"_ agreed the other one, addressing the man the previous one had called 'Mr. President' _"Please hurry to the pod!"_

- _"Forget about me, just go!"_ the President said, nudging them both away when they tried to seize him.

- _"Please sir, we must hurry!"_ the right one insisted.

            Both of them grabbed him from each side and dragged him outside, despite his struggles. Squall watched as the President reentered the room, crawling onto the floor.

- _"Hey, you!"_ he pointed at Squall _"Take care of Ellone! Ughhh!"_ he groaned, as he got pulled back again and out from view.

* * *

            Squall rushed back inside the control room, only to find Ellone, Quistis and Dr. Piet stuck against the glass window.

- _"Oh gosh! The Lunar Cry is starting!"_ Ellone yelped _"Rinoa is going to be swallowed by the flood of monsters!"_

- _"Rinoa, no!"_ Quistis shrieked, banging hard against the glass.

- _"Dammit!"_ Piet cursed _"The seal's gonna be broken!"_

            Squall went for the pair of binoculars attached onto one of the panels.

            He watched in terror as Rinoa floated towards Adel's tomb. She approached the hovering panel and began typing upon it, unlocking the tomb. The gates flew open. Adel's eyes began to glow and a smile came to her face. The tomb suddenly floated downwards, engulfed by the Lunar Cry and Rinoa was shoved far away.

- _"RINOA!!!"_ Squall screamed, pulling away form the binoculars.

- _"Come on."_ Piet urged them all _"We have to evacuate! Now! Everyone else has already left!"_

            He ran towards the back of the control room, through a door reading _'Emergency Exit'_.

- _"We can't leave Rinoa!"_ Quistis exclaimed _"We have to do something!"_

- _"Squall, you should be protecting Rinoa, not me_." Ellone addressed her young brother _"You're the only thing on her mind right now. She's calling you."_

- _"But… What can I do?!" _Squall said desperately _"I'll do **anything**!"_

- _"Come on." _Ellone said, grabbing both Squall and Quistis's arms _"We have to get to the escape pod for now."_

            All three sprinted through the exit Piet had just followed and hurried down the stairway to the escape pod. Quistis ran into one of the seats next to Piet, securing herself. Squall grabbed Ellone's wrist, pulling her back.

- _"Ellone, take me to Rinoa. **Please**."_ he pleaded her.

- _"Next! Hurry!"_ Piet shouted.

- _"I don't know if I can send you."_ Ellone replied, shaking her head, an expression of utmost grief on her face _"I don't know."_

            Ellone escaped Squall grip and ran to one of the empty seats. Recognizing defeat for now, Squall followed suit.

* * *

            Seifer stood before Dr. Odine, arms crossed in front of his chest. Selphie stood right next to him, while both were listening intently to what the peculiar scientist was saying.

- _"So you see…" _Odine went on _"Ven ze Lunatic Pandora yeaches ze Tear's Point, ze effect of ze moon on ze monsterz maximizes like Odine told you before."_

- _"Yes, but what exactly **happens**?" _ Seifer asked _"Is there no way we can stop it now?"_

- _"I'm afraid it iz not possible now." _Odine said, shaking his head in negation _"Since you failed to stop ze Pandora-"_

- _"Hey!" _Selphie interrupted, frowning _"It wasn't easy you know! I'd like to see **you** try and send that thing away!"_

- _"Odine iz not here to stop ze structure from moving! He iz here to tell **you** how to do it!" _the doctor snapped.

- _"You experimented on that thing!" _Seifer hissed at him _"Don't you know any weaknesses it might have that can stop it?!"_

- _"Odine told you! Zere iz no way to stop ze Pandora **now**!" _Odine yelled _"It iz already at ze Tear's Point! So you eizer take my vord on it or I shall challenge you to ze fisticuffs!!!"_ he added, clenching his fists and raising them up into what was his idea of a menacing position.

- _"Oh, for cryin' out loud…" _Seifer sighed in exasperation.

            Just then, his cell-phone began to ring.

- _"I gotta answer this." _the blond addressed the doctor _"But hold on to that thought; I haven't practiced on a punch-bag for ages."_ he added, opening the lid of his phone _"Hello?" (Odine iz deeply offended and fuyeous!)_

- _"It's Zell." _came Zell's voice through the other end.__

- _"Is everything alright?" _asked Seifer (_Odine shall_ _wyeak__ his new invention of shyinking upon you and you shall suffer ze results!) "Did you get back to the Palace safely?"_

- _"Yeah, we're all fine," _Zell replied _"But Saunders told me to call you."_

- _"What's up?" _asked Seifer _(You dare ignore Odine, eh? Just vait till I get ze **MACHINE** ready-) _Seifer sighed _"Hold on a sec."_

             He used his free hand and drew out Hyperion, pointing it at Dr. Odine's throat, who ceased talking immediately.

- _"Go on." _Seifer told Zell, his armed hand not moving a single millimeter.

- _"Saunders says the President is back and wants to meet with you." _Zell replied.__

- _"The President?"_ Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow _"Alright, we'll be there as soon as possible."_

            The tall blond closed the lid of his phone with his free hand and slipped it into his back pocket again.

- _"Did Zell just say the President got back?" _Selphie asked Seifer.

- _"Yeah and that he wants to meet me." _Seifer replied, shrugging.__

            He turned and looked at Odine, who was still staring at the pointy edge of the gunblade in terror. Seifer smirked.

- _"Come on, let's go." _he told Selphie, exiting the room.

- _"You haven't heard ze last from Odine yet!" _the doctor shrieked as Seifer closed the door behind him.   

* * *

            The escape pod flew in mid-air as the debris of the destroyed Lunar Base floated in space behind it. More pods similar to this one had already been set to orbit, returning to Gaia. Within the last remaining pod, a young man's heart was breaking into more and more pieces with each passing second…

            Squall opened the lid securing him in his seat. He got up and banged his hands against the lid securing Ellone.

- _"HYNE!!!!!!"_ he screamed _"Rinoa is gonna die! I can't take it. Ellone, **please**."_ he pleaded once again _"I've **never** felt this way in my life before." _Ellone looked away, a single tear falling down her cheek_ "Take me to Rinoa… to her past."_ Ellone sighed.

- _"OK."_ she said, turning to look at him again _"It may not work, but we'll try, OK?"_

            Squall nodded. He watched Ellone close her eyes, concentrating, before he felt the familiar surge of relaxation taking over his body. His eyelids grew heavy. He sank down to his knees. He closed his eyes…

            Flashes of memories ran through his head. Rinoa within them all…

            **_FLASH._****_ She was inside a Galbadian truck, trying to convince _****_Irvine_****_ to turn back and help everyone who had been trapped inside the D-District Prison…_**

**_            FLASH. She was inside the B-Garden Cafeteria, talking to Zell, asking him to make a replica of Squall's Griever ring for her…  _**

****

            **_FLASH._****_ She was looking at Edea inside the Auditorium of G-Garden, only seconds before she fell down to the floor, unconscious. The dark shadow of a woman with ominous, black wings was leering above her._**

****

**_            And he could hear her voice… pleading for help… trying to reach him…_**

**_            'Squall… I'm scared.'_**

            **_'Rinoa!!!' he screamed 'Who's there?! Get out!'_**

****

****

**_                                                                                                                                                                     FLASH_**

            Squall opened his eyes just in time to see Ellone's seat's lid slide open and the girl fall onto her knees.

- _"Ellone!" _Squall said worriedly, getting up from the floor, kneeling next to her, to check if she was alright.

- _"Did you get to find out what happened to Rinoa?"_ Ellone asked weakly _"Were you able to change the past?"_

- _"I couldn't do anything…What should I do?"_ Squall asked, grabbing her arms.

- _"I remember those eyes."_ Ellone said, smiling _"You just looked at me with the same eyes you had when you were little. Those curious, innocent, puppy-dog eyes. I loved those eyes."_

- _"That's in the past."_ Squall said, shaking his head.

- _"That's right. What's important is right now. I finally realized that."_ she said.

- _"I have to help Rinoa now. That's the only thing I can do, right?"_ Squall asked Ellone.

- _"Yes. Talk to her, Squall. Your voice may not reach her, but your heart will."_ she replied, placing her palm on the cold glass surface of the helmet, as if trying to touch him _"Are you ready? I'm taking you to_ _the_ _nearest past… To the closest present to the future…"_

            Squall fell to the floor once again, only this time, his mind took him to a different kind of memory.

**_                                                                                                                                                                     FLASH_**

****

            Vast, endless space unfolded before his very eyes and he felt himself gliding… floating… But he felt tired… **So **tired… He felt unable to go on…

_            Remaining Life Support System: 15 seconds_

            He was inside Rinoa's mind and body… He could hear her own thoughts clearly…

**_             'Am I… gonna make it…? How? I can't do anything… Drifting… endlessly. I'm helpless…'_**

            _Remaining Life Support: 0_

**_            'No… I'm… That's it. I'm gonna… I'm gonna… die.'_**

_            Life Support Has Terminated_

            **_'Good bye. Squall…'_**

            Squall's vision became blocked as Rinoa shut her eyes…

            Her final thought had been about him… She was thinking about **him**. He couldn't let that happen… He couldn't let her waste away…

- _"Rinoa!!! No!!!"_ he shrieked within her mind _"Don't give up!!! Can you hear me?! It's Squall… Rinoa!!!"_

            Rinoa's eyes fluttered opened for a split second, but her breaths were becoming heavier, steaming up her space helmet. Her eyelids grew heavy again…

- _"Rinoa, come on!" _Squall insisted _"Try to remember!"_

            Rinoa's breaths were becoming shallower. Her eyes made one last effort to stay open, before shutting again. Squall's vision was rendered into darkness once more.

.

- _"Rinoa, I'm right here with you! **Listen** to me!"_ Squall screamed.

            The young man sighed. It was of no use… Rinoa couldn't listen to him… It was all… over **_'Hyne… No…'_**

            Suddenly, a tiny ray of light appeared. Rinoa was gradually opening her eyes again…  Squall watched in awe, as his Griever ring floated into view. Rinoa slowly reached out for the helmet, as if trying to touch the ring. A tear escaped her eyes, but instead of rolling down her cheek, it floated into a tiny orb inside the helmet.

            **_'I'm… still… … alive? Squall…?'_**

            Squall watched Rinoa reach for a panel attached to her suit. She pressed a button, and immediately a surge of air blew into her face…

            _Life Support Has Been Restored_

**_                                                                                                                                                                     FLASH_**

            Squall reopened his eyes. Ellone was standing above him.

- _"I'm gonna go find Rinoa."_ he said determinedly.

- _"You didn't need my help at all."_ Ellone said, smiling at him.

- _"Thanks, Sis."_ Squall replied, getting up.

            He walked towards the back of the pod, grabbing a lever near a panel. After pressing a button, the lever pulled him up.

- _"Wait!"_ Quistis called, unlocking the lid in front of her seat _"Come back!"_

- _"Idiot!"_ sneered Piet _"There's no way he can get back! He's insane! He's gonna run out of fuel and life-support in no time. They're both gonna die."_

* * *

            Squall floated within the vast, **empty** space. 

            He knew what he'd just done was beyond plain crazy. He knew it was pure suicide. But he also knew something else. If Rinoa was destined to die right now, in space, then he'd join her. He would **never **leave her alone…

**_            'Rinoa… Where are you? I'm gonna find you… No matter what…'_**

            He wasn't aware of how long he'd been floating, before the sight of a grey and orange suit appeared in the horizon. The light of hope began burning within him once again… 

**_            'I have to get in front of her… And catch her.'_**

            He struggled, trying to 'swim' his way across the atmosphere, swaying in weightlessness. He was getting closer… Just a bit more… He could see her clearly now… She was reaching him, too… Just a bit more…

            His arms extended, reaching out for her.

            She fell back first into his embrace, startled. She didn't need to turn around to see who it was that had caught her.

- _"Squall…"_ she whispered _"Thank you. I heard your voice…"_

- _"…I can't believe it."_ Squall uttered, bewildered.

            He turned her around, holding on to her tightly.

- _"Are we gonna make it?"_ she asked, but it didn't seem to matter to her now.

- _"Don't worry."_ Squall reassured her.

            Before their very eyes, the Lunar Cry continued to send a flow of monsters down to Gaia **_'Out of fuel… Low on oxygen… What now? Die in space? I'm so helpless…'_** thought Squall. At first, the possibility of him dying next to her didn't seem frightening, but now that he held her close to him, he couldn't let her die like this…**_'I can't even save Rinoa? Come on, think!'_**

            Right then, he watched Rinoa's eyes widen. She raised one arm and pointed behind him. Slowly turning around, Squall's eyes opened to full width as fell. A large, red, dragon-like spaceship was floating near the moon's surface. Like a gift sent directly from Hyne…

- _"Rinoa, hold on…"_ Squall warned her.

            He turned around, feeling Rinoa's arms encase his waist. He reached up, trying to float upwards, towards the spaceship. The spaceship spun around, showing its grim dragon-faced nose. As it spun, Squall grabbed hold of the side. Desperately, he searched around the surface for some kind of entrance. There just **had** to be one… And he had to find it before their last molecule of oxygen died away. He couldn't give up now that Lady Luck had smiled so widely upon them…

            His fingers soon gained hold of a round handle, attached upon a rectangular carving upon the surface of the spaceship **_'Yes!!!' _**Squall's mind exclaimed in glee, as he twisted the handle, granting them entrance inside. He helped Rinoa inch within first, following right behind her.

            Once inside, Squall sealed the lid of the spaceship and moved down to the trapdoor beneath his feet. He opened it, allowing Rinoa to go through first. She squeezed through the opening on the floor and floated down to the room. Squall crept through the narrow hole as well, dragging the lid of the door along his way. He held on to it, and only let go when it had been sealed shut as well. It was apparent that there was small amount of gravity within the room, as he slowly sank to the floor. No 'earthly' gravity meant not enough oxygen for them as well, so it was no time to feel secure yet.

            Beckoning Rinoa with his index finger, Squall moved towards the next room in almost weightless leaps. When the door closed behind him, however, he felt his whole weight returning to him pound by pound and found himself walking normally again. He walked towards a panel on the left wall, examining it **_'There's air…'_** he thought, taking out his helmet hesitantly.

            When Rinoa saw him breathing normally and heard a sigh or relief escaping his lips, she took her cue in removing her own helmet as well. Squall watched reverently, as her silky strands of raven hair slid out of the helmet and back in place with a shake of her head. She held the helmet in her hands and turned to look at Squall.

            He honestly couldn't remember a time when he had felt his stomach fluttering like that before. Her eyes… Her dark brown eyes… How long it had been since he'd last seen them shine like this? How long had it been since he'd last seen them send him a warm glance like this? His stomach did yet another lurch when Rinoa's still pale face broke into a smile. A **beautiful**, heartfelt, wide smile. Could any other person in the whole world possibly smile like that?

            Eventually realizing how long he'd been staring at her, Squall turned away, blushing, and began removing his space uniform. Beside him, Rinoa followed suit. When the young Commander had removed the last grey boot from his feet, he ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at Rinoa. She was smiling even more broadly than before and had her arms crossed behind her back, staring at him intently. Squall suddenly felt somewhat panicky… **_'Wh-what?' _**he thought **_'Why is she looking at me like that…?'_**

- _"Thank you, Squall."_ Rinoa finally spoke, in her familiar, soft voice _"You rescued me again. I can't thank you enough."_

- _"Uhh… Don't worry about it."_ Squall replied, trying his best at a casual shrug _"I just did what I wanted to do."_

            Rinoa grinned and blushed, looking down to her feet. When she looked back up at him, she opened her arms widely. Squall gave her a questioning gaze.

- _"The space suit was in our way before…"_ she said, always grinning. Squall's eyebrows arched _"Give me a hug."_ Rinoa explained. Squall's eyes shot wide open _"A real tight one!"_ Rinoa went on _"I need to know that I'm alive!"_

            Squall took a moment to try and compose himself. Rinoa was standing right in front of him, hands held out wide, expecting him to hug her. And Hyne, how he wanted to give in… All he wanted to do right now was hold her in his arms tightly, bury his hands through her hair, take in her scent and… He shook himself mentally. Her safety came above all. And he couldn't allow himself to get carried away before he made certain there was no threat above their heads. They may as well have escaped the danger of running out of oxygen, but the matter of whether they'd stay alive or not was always at hand; they still had to return to Gaia and Squall had no idea whatsoever of how to get back. 

- _"We may be alive right now…"_ he finally spoke _"But look at our situation…"_ Rinoa put down her arms and sighed _"You want to live, right? You want to go back and see everyone, right?"_ Squall asked her.

- _"And not become other people's memories?"_ she asked, smiling poignantly now. She seemed quite dejected, but Squall could see in her eyes that she understood.

- _"That's right."_ he said, nodding.

            Rinoa stepped forward making the door of the hangar open. She walked inside the grand room appearing before them. A small, metal bridge lay in front of her, leading to another door, while a stairway plunged into the lower level of the chamber. Her gaze fell casually upon the level beneath them, where her eyes widened at the sight of a gargantuan purple tail.

- _"AHH!" _she began to scream, but Squall shut her mouth with his palm from behind and pulled her down to her knees _"What is **that**?!"_ she whispered.

- _"I don't know…"_ Squall replied, shaking his head in negation .

- _"Doesn't look like a very friendly creature."_ Rinoa commented, screwing her face into a frown of disgust.

- _"Let's try to sneak by it."_ Squall suggested.

            Rinoa nodded, feeling Squall's gloved palm wrap around hers. She held on to it tightly and watched as Squall counted backwards from three with his free hand's fingers. When he reached zero, he broke into a run, dragging Rinoa behind him. To their misfortune, the creature lingering in the lower level heard their rushed footsteps and, with a roar, began ascending the stairway towards them.

            Squall tightened his grip on Rinoa's hand and burst through the door before them. The next room would have been pretty much empty aside from a small lift and a couple of doorways, unless you counted the ten foot tall monster, similar to the previous one, with which they came face to face upon entering. Apparently, Lady Luck had decided to switch to bitchy mode at the current time. Both of them stopped dead in their tracks. The creature let out a deafening growl and prepared to lunge itself upon them, when Squall, drew out Lionheart with his free hand. Rinoa took the hint and released Squall's palm, allowing him to plunge his gunblade right in the middle of the beast's head. It let out a high-pitched shriek, before falling to the ground with a thud. But not before a surge of thick, green substance began oozing from the fatal wound Squall had caused it, staining the front of his jacket slightly.

            Rinoa's dragged moan of disgust was drowned within the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the previous room, forcing Squall to forget all about his tainted clothing and making it obvious that the other monster was approaching as well. Squall grabbed hold of Rinoa's hand again and dragged her to the small elevator before them. Pressing the button frantically, he caused the lift to ascend, just as the door busted open and in came the purple creature. It made a move to swipe them both with one deadly-looking claw, but they were already too high up. The lift brought them to a new level and what seemed to be the cockpit came in view the moment Squall pushed the double doors open.

            Panting, Squall stepped inside, and watched in horror as the lift descended again. He didn't know how far the intellect of that creature went, but he wasn't willing to risk it. When the door behind them closed, he looked around hurriedly, in search of something to possibly block it with. His eye caught a thin, but sturdy-looking piece of railing. That would have to do… Gently pushing Rinoa back, he swung Lionheart's indestructible adamantine blade down to the railing with force, cutting one edge off with ease. Another strike, and the piece of railing became detached. Swiftly, he slid it through the two door handles, securing them.

            They both stood in tormenting silence for a few seconds, waiting to hear any sign of movement from down below. The creature never boarded the elevator… Letting out a sigh or relief, Squall slipped Lionheart back in place, wiping his sweaty forehead.

            Suddenly, the metal floor shook vigorously. The purple monster had tried to knock down the wall underneath them. Squall lost his footing the moment he'd tried to turn around. He caught glimpse of a blur of blue and black before he found himself onto the floor, right above Rinoa. Not having really realized what had just happened, he turned his head to the door mechanically. The muffled sound of a roar came from the lower level. Without realizing it, his palms tightened around Rinoa's waist and hers wrapped around Squall's neck. None of them even dared to breathe for a few agonizing moments, until the sound of a door sliding open and closed again was heard. Squall recognized the sound from the door leading to the two-leveled room, where they'd first seen the purple beast. Another roar came, but this time it was so subdued that both of them realized the monster had returned to its initial chamber.

            Rinoa's sigh of relief brought Squall back to reality.

- _"That was a close one…" _she said breathlessly.

- _"Yeah, it-"_ Squall began to say, turning around.

            He ceased talking immediately, realizing the position they were locked into. Out of the corner of his eye, he followed Rinoa's palms as they slid from his neck and rested upon his shoulders gently. His own hands felt petrified on spot. Said spot was by the way Rinoa's waist…

- _"I guess I got my hug, then…" _Rinoa said, smiling, grazing Squall's neck softly with one finger.

            If deep magenta was a color the human skin could physically obtain, it would have been **slightly** close to the color on Squall's face right now. Rinoa giggled.

- _"My, my… Are you **blushing**, Squall?" _she asked, or rather **stated**, grinning from ear to ear.

            No words seemed to be able to escape Squall's all of a sudden dried up throat. Rinoa's finger kept moving up and down his neck, his own breath was becoming heavier and heavier, his skin was burning, the color on his face would probably be out of this earth by now, his stomach was doing back-flips even the 'Grand Circus Of Trabia' would have been jealous of and his heart was competing with the pounding of a drum at a rock concert.

            Yes! Of **course** he was fucking blushing! Her body was pressed against his, her lips had by now regained their lovely rosy color and looked more inviting than ever, her breath was falling hot on his face and the movement of her finger, albeit a simple move, did things to him that he couldn't even **begin** to describe! And she was surprised he was **blushing**?!

- _"Aren't you going to say anything?" _Rinoa asked in a hushed, velvety voice.

            Her front bangs had fallen on her forehead, while the rest of her locks were sprawled onto the floor. Her eyes were half-closed, long eyelashes falling in front on her chocolate brown orbs. Her lips were half-open, heavy breaths escaping them, echoing within the walls of his head. She was no longer smiling, but looking at him with an expression of… longing.

- _"I… I…" _Squall croaked out, clearing his dry throat.

- _"Shh…" _Rinoa hushed him, placing the tip of her finger on his lips _"You don't **have** to speak if you don't want to…"_

            Her fingertip slid down gently, resting upon his chin. Her expression never changed.

- _"Ummm…"_ Squall began to say.

_                                                                                                                                                               Hshshshsshhh…_

- _"…The… The panel."_ Squall uttered. Rinoa arched both eyebrows.

- _"The what?"_ she asked.

- _"The panel."_ Squall said more firmly, now looking up towards the machinery of the cockpit _"It's hissing."_

            He finally felt the blood returning to his palms, which he withdrew from her waist and helped himself up, moving towards the panel. Rinoa took a moment to realize what had just happened, before sighing and getting back up on her feet, dusting her clothes off.

- _"Is it… trying to speak?" _she asked, puzzled.

              **_This is Esthar Airstation._**

            Squall's eyes widened **_'It's…'_**

_            **Ragnarok, do you read? Ragnarok, do you read?!**_

**_            '…a radio signal.'_**

****

_            **This is Airstation. Do you copy?**_

            Rinoa rushed over to Squall and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his back. Squall let out a scoff of mixed joy and disbelief.

- _"This ship is the Ragnarok?"_ he spoke to the panel.

- _"Whoa!"_ the voice through the radio spoke back _"Is this really the Ragnarok? You're in space, right?"_

- _"Yeah but, I have no idea where we are."_ Squall replied.

- _"Roger that! We can track you from here."_

            Squall's features became milder **_'We can go home…?' _**he asked himself, unable to believe their sheer luck.

- _"Ragnarok… It's been 17 years!"_ the man through the radio spoke.

- _"Can we make it back?"_ Squall asked eagerly.

- _"Leave it to us! You should have enough fuel."_ the man reassured him _"Enter your location into the atmospheric reentry program and you'll be OK. Once you enter the atmosphere, we can guide you down. You'll be just fine."_ Squall frowned.

- _"How do I enter the data?"_ he asked.

- _"No sweat. We'll take this step by step. Are you in the pilot seat?"_

- _"There's too many seats here."_ Squall replied.

- _"It's the one on the right. Go sit there."_

            Squall complied and plopped down onto the seat on the right.

- _"OK, I'm here."_ he said.

- _"See the touch panel in front of you?"_

- _"Yeah, I see it."_ Squall replied.

- _"The rest is easy. Just enter the following data: WJHEIE/…"_

- _"Entered."_ Squall said, once he was done typing.

- _"Then: 2872/HD-IEU."_

- _"Entered."_ Squall repeated once done.

- _"No errors?"_

- _"It's fine."_ Squall replied, grinning the slightest bit.

- _"Next, I'm sure you're OK, but there's something I need you to do. Turn off the gravity generator. This should save some fuel, just in case. Use the same touch panel to turn it off."_

- _"Alright."_ Squall said, looking around the panel. He spotted a button **_'This must be it'_** he thought, pressing it _"Done."_

- _"Congratulations. You're home free, Ragnarok. And… There's one more thing we need to tell you. From all of us at Ground Control, we wish you Godspeed."_

- _"Thanks."_ Squall replied, now genuinely smiling.

* * *

- _"Come in…"_

            The door creaked open and in came Seifer. The tall blond closed the door behind him, without paying much attention to who was inside the office. He turned around, about to salute the President, when he almost froze still, giving the man standing before him a rather rude stare filled with disbelief. The person who was supposedly the President of the most advanced nation of the planet, was a man that looked no day older than thirty-five, not to mention that he seemed the kind of guy living next door to you. His attire was as casual  –and much unlike the one of the citizens of his country- as any other regular person's; he was clad in a plain green shirt and a brown pair of pants, looking much more like a regular visitor of the Palace. His facial features were kind and mild, and time had certainly been more than kind with this man. Although Seifer had been informed that the president was already a good forty four years old, the blond stood by his initial thought. The President had long, silky strands of brown hair, that had just barely started to get grayer in the temples. His sincere smile reached all the way up to his warm green eyes and his face bore no visible wrinkles yet.

            For a minute, Seifer thought he was looking at a rather familiar face, but he couldn't quite place it. Not until the man approached him. That walk… The way he extended his arm towards him…

- _"You're…" _Seifer croaked out.

- _"Laguna Loire." _said the President, always smiling _"Pleased to meet you."_

- _"I know you…" _Seifer said dazed, pointing his index finger at Laguna, still not shaking his extended arm _"You're that Galbadian soldier…"_

- _"Once upon a time…" _Laguna said, finally retreating his arm, since he got no reciprocation _"I used to be a lot of things… Like-"_

- _"A journalist." _Seifer cut him off.

- _"Exactly…" _Laguna said, grinning in a quizzical manner _"How did you know?"_

- _"Erm… Long story…" _Seifer said, running a hand through his hair.

            It was **him**… Laguna Loire, whose life Ellone had been showing them. He'd only experienced what Squall and the others had called the 'Dream World' once, but Laguna's face had been etched in his memory. Seifer had taken the 'place' of Kiros through that one 'session'.

            Seifer had still not wiped the dreamy expression from his face, staring blankly at Laguna who had begun to feel quite uncomfortable. He crossed his arms behind his back and looked around apprehensively.

- _"Would you, erm… Like to have a seat?"_ he offered.

- _"Huh?" _Seifer said, finally snapping out of it _"Uhh, yeah… Sure, sure…"_

            The blond walked over to an armchair, making himself comfortable, as Laguna sat upon the one right opposite him. The President tapped his foot on the floor for a few seconds, as silence filled the room.

- _"I presume you are Commander Almasy?" _he asked eventually.

- _"Oh yeah!" _Seifer said, only now realizing that he hadn't introduced himself yet _"Seifer Almasy." _he said, nodding at Laguna.

- _"I understand that you're co-commanding the Garden by another person, right?" _Laguna asked.

- _"Yeah, Pub-… erm… Squall Leonhart." _Seifer replied _"He's currently-"_

- _"At the Lunar Base, I know." _Laguna finished for him _"Leonhart…" _he mumbled, his expression becoming suddenly distant.

            Seifer remained silent for a fair couple of minutes, allowing Laguna's mind to wander. He was about to speak, when Laguna snapped out of it and smiled again.

- _"Right… Well…" _he said, rubbing the back of his hair _"I just wanted to meet you, since you and your peers are my guests…"_

- _"Oh, right, thanks for the hospitality by the way." _Seifer said, grinning.__

- _"No problem at all…" _Laguna replied earnestly.__

- _"So…" _Seifer began, trying to make small talk _"How d'you become a President anyway? Cause you're from Galbadia and all…"_

- _"Oh, it goes quite a few years back…" _Laguna replied, a nostalgic tone lingering in his voice _"It was right at the end of Sorceress Adel's reign. You're familiar with her history between her and Esthar, aren't you?"_

- _"Yeah, she used to rule the country less than twenty years ago. Kinda like a dictatorship, wasn't it?" _Seifer asked.__

- _"More or less." _Laguna replied, nodding _"It was seventeen years ago, to be exact."_

- _"So how do you fit into the whole story?" _Seifer asked _"Had you moved to Esthar during those times?"_ he asked, somewhat in disbelief; it didn't seem logical for someone to move into a country ruled by a dictator.__

- _"Not exactly…" _Laguna replied, shaking his head in negation _"I happened to meet a person from one of the groups rebelling against Adel, while I was working in Dr. Odine's lab. Before I knew it, I was their leader and helped end Adel's reign. After that, they made me their President…" _ Laguna said shrugging, an awkward grin crossing his face.__

            Seifer once again stared at the President in slight disbelief. The man himself didn't seem to believe his own story, but for some reason, Seifer felt he was being totally honest about it. Very vague, but honest. The young Commander grinned along with Laguna, then turned away, looking around the room. His eyes stopped upon the President's desk, where a silver-framed picture stood. Seifer got up from his chair and approached the desk. He turned his gaze back to Laguna.

- _"May I?" _he asked, pointing at the photo, but his hand was already in mid-movement. It was not like he ever asked for anyone's permission to do pretty much anything…

- _"Uhh, sure…" _Laguna replied, shrugging.__

            Seifer picked up the picture. The photo was that of a woman. A beautiful woman, with a kind face, long brown hair and a pair of startlingly blue eyes. A pair of **very** familiar eyes. Seifer had never seen that woman before in his life, but those eyes seemed hauntingly recognizable. He recalled having stared back at those steel blue eyes countless times, but no recollection of the woman came in his mind. Deciding not to give any more thought into it, he turned to look at Laguna again, still holding the frame in his hands.

- _"Your…?" _Seifer began to ask, but was at loss of how to continue the sentence.

            The woman looked quite younger than Laguna, so she could just as well be his daughter, but she could also be his wife, which would bring Seifer into a very awkward position if he finished that sentence with the word 'daughter'.

- _"Ha, ha… daughter?" _Laguna asked, laughing, realizing Seifer's dilemma.Seifer grinned awkwardly _"No, no…My wife. But the picture was taken eighteen years ago, so I can see how you got confused…"_

- _"Oh, I see…" _Seifer replied, grinning _"But… Why do you-?"_

- _"Keep an old picture of her?" _Laguna finished for him _"She passed away about a year after this was taken."_

- _"Oh, sorry to hear that…"_ Seifer said, frowning.__

- _"It's all right…" _Laguna said, shrugging _"It's been quite a while since it happened, so I'm OK with it now… Besides, I'll always remember the great times we had together…I dunno if you understand what I mean… Have you ever been in love, Seifer?" _the older man asked, smiling.__

            The blond placed the picture down, trying to conceal a grin that was spreading wide on his face. Yes… Yes, he had been…

- _"I'll take it from your expression that you have…" _Laguna said, still smiling _"Or should I say **are**?"_

            Seifer cleared his throat audibly, a hint of redness apparent on his cheeks now.

- _"Umm, uhh… What was her name?" _he asked, trying to change the subject.

- _"Raine." _Laguna replied, phrasing the word as if it was the most sacred one he'd even spoken _"Raine… __Loire__……Leonhart." _  

* * *

**A/N:** Revelations, anyone? :-p

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_While Rinoa and Squall land back to Gaia safely, havoc wreaks back in Esthar._

_The Lunar Cry occurs once again, but that's not all…_


	35. Chapter 34: Goodbyes and promises

**A/N:** Decided to quit smoking… Three days without so much of a drag and counting…

Don't even ask how my mental state stands so far…

Withdrawal fucking sucks…

NOTE: Some of you had a few comments on the Propagators that have to be beaten before entering the cockpit of Ragnarok. There are two reasons for leaving them out: 1) The chapter was already too long and eight fight scenes would just make it damned humongous. Besides, wouldn't they all be pretty much the same and get boring after a while? And I couldn't just describe one fight then say "And after beating the rest of them, they walked over to the lift blah, blah, blah…" 2) I wanted to change the whole Ragnarok scene a bit, and part of those changes was this one as well.

See if you can spot two movie cameos. First one to tell me gets the next chapter e-mailed to them before it gets posted up To help you out, the first one comes from a **very** recent, **CG** movie. I'm practically giving that one out :-p The second one, is a much older movie, the third part of a trilogy that will have a fourth part added to it in a couple of years… A cameo from the **first** movie of the trilogy has been inserted in a past chapter.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Being awakened once again, Rinoa breaks Sorceress Adel's seal out in space. Meanwhile, Seifer converses with the President of Esthar, finding out even more than he bargained for…_

* * *

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                                            A second chance_**

                                                                                                                                                       By: Sickness in Salvation****

**                                                                                                                                             Chapter 34: Goodbyes and promises**

* * *

* * *

            Seifer looked at the President of Esthar bewildered. If it was humanly possible, his jaw would have just hit the floor with a deafening thud. Had Laguna just said…? No, no way… He must've heard wrong or misunderstood something. Sitting right across Seifer, Laguna Loire never broke eye contact with the blond SeeD. His warm green eyes met with the fiery jade ones before him, without losing their cool. However, they betrayed a secret hidden deep inside, begging to become revealed.

            Seifer shifted uneasily and rested the framed picture back in place with trembling hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It was only when Laguna turned his gaze away that he found his voice returning to him.

- _"Could I, uhh…" _he began, running a hand through his hair _"Could I have a smoke?"_

- _"Go ahead." _Laguna replied, shrugging _"There should be an ashtray on the desk."_

The tall blond had never felt he wanted a cigarette more in his entire life. Digging his hand into his coat pocket, he retrieved the slightly wrinkled Marlboro pack. He slid one cigarette out along with his black lighter and lit it. The first inhale of smoke brought his mind to some sort of ease… This was too much information for one to take… **_'_****_Loire_****_ is Squall's _DAD_?! Holy fucking Hyne… And he doesn't know a thing… Oh, it will _not_ get pretty when, _if_ he finds out…' _**   

            Seifer's curiosity for more information was beginning to eat him up inside. After the initial shock, his interest in this bit of info had struck red and he wanted to know **how**, **when**, **where**, had this all happened… He was about to start firing away a flurry of questions,but was interrupted by the ringing sound of the phone, piercing the awkward silence that lingered in the air. Laguna jolted up from his seat startled and ran a hand through his long brown locks of hair.

- _"Excuse me for a second, Seifer…" _he said and got up to answer the persistently ringing telephone.

            Seifer nodded at him in approval and kept taking in long drags of smoke while waiting. Laguna approached his desk and picked up the receiver.

- _"Laguna Loire speaking."_ said the President, bringing the blue phone receiver next to his ear _"What?!" _he bellowed anxiously, making Seifer quickly turn his attention to him _"WHEN?!" _he asked, grasping the edge of his desk with one hand. Seifer had now stepped closer to him _"Well, where are they?! Are they safe?!" _asked Laguna again. Next to him, Seifer looked at him intently, trying to hear what the voice on the other end of the line was saying _"Oh Hyne… So they're OK? Good… What about the ones in the escape pod? WHAT?! Gimme the co-ordinates, quick!" _he said, scrambling around his desk for some pen and paper.

            Seifer beat him to it, grabbing a pencil and ripping a page from the small calendar on Laguna's desk.

- _"Tell __me.__" _he said, taking out the pen's cap.

- _"24 East," _said Laguna, as Seifer hastily scribbled on the piece of paper _"And 31 South."_

- _"Done." _said Seifer, resting the pen on the desk.

- _"Get me two fully armed troops outside the Palace and have the aircrafts ready, got it? Good." _said Laguna, hanging up.

            As Seifer watched Laguna give out orders, he finally realized why he'd been made the President in the first place. Despite the careless and somewhat, well… 'goofy' impression one would get about Laguna upon first meeting him, he could easily prove that, in a moment of emergency, he became dead serious and responsible

- _"Who was it? What happened?!" _asked Seifer immediately.

- _"They were from the Lunar Gate Control Tower."_ replied Laguna _"The Lunar Base is destroyed."_

- _"What?! How did that happen?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Apparently Rinoa unlocked Adel's seal under Ultimecia's command." _replied Laguna.

- _"Aw, SHIT!" _cursed Seifer.

- _"There's more… What our scientists have feared most has happened. The Lunar Cry has occurred and has 'swallowed' Adel's Tomb within it. The Lunar Base got drawn by it as well and got destroyed." _

- _"What about everyone up there? Quistis, Ellone, Rinoa, Squall?!" _asked Seifer frantically.

- _"Rinoa got thrown into space after unlocking Adel's tomb. No-one was able to stop her. The rest got into an escape pod to get them safely to Esth-"_

- _"Rinoa's DEAD?!" _said Seifer, clutching his chest with one palm.

- _"No, no, she's fine. Squall left the escape pod in an attempt to save her." _replied Laguna, a tiny smile appearing on his handsome features.

- _"You've **gotta** be shitting me…" _said Seifer, looking at Laguna dumbfounded.

- _"I most certainly am not… They were sure to be dead, but they came across the Ragnarok and are being safely brought back here as we speak." _the President replied.

- _"Ragnarok?" _asked Seifer raising an eyebrow.

- _"A legendary spaceship belonging to the Estharian army seventeen years ago. We thought we'd lost it forever…"_

- _"OK, so we're going to pick them up now?" _asked Seifer, feeling relieved.

- _"We're not going to look for **them**." _said Laguna, his expression changing to serious again.

- _"To whom did the co-ordinates refer to then?" _asked Seifer.

- _"Ellone, Quistis and Dr. Piet of the Lunar Base were the rest on the escape pod. Unfortunately… it… crashed somewh-" _began Laguna.

            Seifer's cigarette fell from his lips and onto the floor. Inside him, his heart stopped beating and sank down to his stomach.

- _"WHAT?!" _he bellowed eventually, feeling as if he was going to faint **_'This can't be happening…' _**he thought.

- _"They're all safe. No-one's hurt, but we have to reach them quick. Apparently, the Galbadian army has been informed of this and they're on their way to capture Ellone and maybe even Instructor Trepe…" _replied Laguna.

- _"AND WE'RE **STILL** STANDING HERE?! LET'S GET THE **FUCK** OUTTA THIS PLACE AND GO GET THEM!" _shouted the blond on the top of his lungs, grabbing Laguna from the shirt.

- _"Easy there, son…" _said Laguna calmly _"We need to wait for the troops I asked for to get ready."_

- _"Wait? **WAIT**?! There's no **time**!" _roared Seifer, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

- _"They'll be ready in less than ten minutes. Our aircrafts are the fastest out there. We'll make it in time…" _Laguna reassured him, although a hint of disbelief and agony could be discerned in his eyes…

* * *

- _"Next, I'm sure you're OK, but there's something I need you to do. Turn off the gravity generator. This should save some fuel, just in case. Use the same touch panel to turn it off."_

- _"Alright."_ Squall said, looking around the panel. He spotted a button **_'This must be it'_** he thought, pressing it _"Done."_

- _"Congratulations. You're home free, Ragnarok. And… There's one more thing we need to tell you. From all of us at Ground Control, we wish you Godspeed."_

- _"Thanks."_ Squall replied, now genuinely smiling.

            He turned and looked at Rinoa, pointing at the opposite seat. But the moment Rinoa took the first step forward, she lost her footing and made a flip into the air.

- _"Hey?!"_ she exclaimed.

            She began floating around in weightlessness, smiling broadly. Squall abandoned his seat and jumped up to catch her, but she moved out of the way. Squall sighed.

- _"Stop fooling around. We have to get to our seats." _Squall told her.

- _"Don't be such a killjoy!"_ Rinoa said _"This is fun!"_

- _"It won't be, when Ragnarok starts descending to Gaia and we'll be floating around like idiots. We could get hurt." _Squall said seriously.

- _"Bet you can't catch me." _Rinoa said in a daring manner.

- _"Rinoa," _Squall said, sighing _"This isn't the time to be-"_

- _"Whatsamatter?" _Rinoa insisted, arching an eyebrow _"You chicken?"_

            Squall narrowed his eyes at her. He was beginning to feel annoyed, but at the same time… challenged.

- _"Rinoa-"_ he began

- _"Ooh!" _Rinoa cut him off _"The Commander of __Balamb__Garden__ is a chicken! Who would have known?" _she teased.

            **_'That's it.'_** Squall thought. Kicking hard on the wall behind him, he sped towards Rinoa. The girl giggled angelically and moved out of the way just in time, as Squall dove for her. She hovered back in mid-air and stuck her tongue out at him. Watching her with his eyes like a predator after its prey, Squall waited for the right moment and kicked down to the floor, springing upwards. Rinoa dove down to the floor, but wasn't fast enough. Squall caught her boot while she was in mid-movement, causing her to jerk back upwards.

            Squall began pulling her towards him from the leg, but she reached up and untied her shoelace. Squall cursed and made a grab for her, but her foot had already slipped out of the boot and she was free once again. Floating down to the floor, she turned and looked at him, mischief spread all over her face.

- _"Good move," _she said condescendingly _"But not good **enough**." _

            She sprang back up in mid-air and crossed her arms, waiting for his next move. The gears within Squall's mind did a frantic spin. He inwardly smirked.

- _"Let me try again, then." _he said _"Catch."_

He threw her boot back at her with might. Naturally, the lack of proper gravity slowed it down a fair amount. However, when Rinoa caught it, the kinetic energy of the object transferred to her, pushing her back as well. Realization on Squall's plan dawned on her, but it was already too late; the moment Squall had thrown her the boot, he'd already kicked hard on the wall behind him and was now inches away from her. He wrapped his arms around her, securing her. Rinoa groaned.

- _"Damn…" _she said _"Well played, though…" _she admitted.

- _"**Now** can we get to our seats?" _he asked, or rather stated.

- _"OK, fine…" _Rinoa said half-heartedly, accepting defeat _"Just wait a sec till I get my shoe back on…" _she mumbled.

            Leaning against Squall, she slipped her boot back on and tied the shoelace. When she was done, she wrapped her arms around Squall's neck and threw her legs up, making them rest upon Squall's arm.

- _"OK, ready to go now." _she said, smiling.

            **_'_Why_ must she torture me like that?!'_******Squall thought to himself. Looking away, he floated down towards the pilot seat. He sat down upon it, Rinoa still on his lap.

- _"Go sit over there." _he said, pointing at the seat next to him with his head _"Put your seatbelt on."_   

- _"Just a little longer."_ Rinoa said, scooting closer to him.

- _"Why are you holding on to me like this?"_ he asked, his face bearing an almost tormented expression.

- _"You don't like this, Squall?"_ Rinoa asked.

- _"Just… not used to it."_ he said, shrugging.

- _"How about when you were little?"_ Rinoa asked _"Didn't you feel safe and secure being held by your parents?"_

- _"I can't remember anything about my parents…"_ Squall replied _"But… Ellone was there for me. Ellone was there to hold my hand."_

- _"Made you feel safe and secure?"_ she asked, running a crooked finger down his cheek.

- _"Yeah…"_ Squall said, now looking glum _"But she left. Just disappeared. I'm afraid…"_ he admitted _"Afraid of having that feeling of comfort taken away."_

- _"You were afraid of losing us?"_ she asked, only now realizing fully his past behavior _"Is that why you kept your distance?"_

- _"I was always alone…"_ Squall replied, trying to show it was no big deal to him.

- _"Squall…"_ Rinoa whispered, cupping his face with one palm _"You missed out on all the good things in life. You've missed out on so much."_

            Squall unlocked his gaze with hers, tenderly touching the palm that was resting on his face.

- _"…Maybe."_ he replied. Rinoa placed a finger under his chin, causing him to look up at her.

- _"Definitely."_ she corrected him.

            She sighed, resting her head in the crook of his neck, now snaking her arms around his waist. Squall found her hair sprawled in front on his face. He closed his eyes, taking in their scent.

- _"I like it like this."_ Rinoa said softly _"I liked having my mom hold me. May dad, too, back when we got along."_

- _"I'm not your mom."_ Squall said, looking down to her.

- _"No, of course not."_ she replied, smiling _"But right now… Squall…"_ she said, her palm touching his cheek once again _"You're the one who gives me the most comfort. Comfort and happiness… And annoyance_ _and disappointment, too!"_ she added, grinning.

- _"Whatever…"_ Squall said, rolling his eyes.

- _"We're gonna make it home, right?"_ Rinoa asked softly.

- _"We can only hope."_ Squall replied, trying to sound encouraging.

- _"When we get back…We won't be able to stay together, huh?"_ she asked, frowning. Squall sighed.

- _"…Maybe."_ he replied _"No one can predict the future, there are no guarantees. Those were your words… Rinoa."_

            He touched her palm again with his gloved one.

- _"That's… That's not what I meant."_ she whispered.

- _"We'll figure out what to do once we get back."_ he replied.

            Rinoa nodded and looked deeper into his eyes. Their embrace had been getting tighter and more intimate with each passing second. And Squall could feel it in his every cell. She was right in his arms, breaths sent right to his neck, looking at him. And he was holding her hand and his face was so close to hers. And they were both moving closer, their eyes half-closed and their lips…

**_            This is Airstation. Ragnarok, please respond._**

            Squall inched back abruptly. Rinoa looked away and got off his lap, sitting on the seat next to him.

- _"This is the Ragnarok."_ Squall replied.

- _"We have some questions for you."_ said the same man who had talked to them before, voice coming out through panel _"We're collecting escape pods. We have a good idea of what happened. I hear no one from Lunar Base is on the Ragnarok. How many of you are there?"_

- _"Just two."_ replied Squall _"Oh and…" _Squall added, his mind trailing off to the monsters down below _"We have managed to confine ourselves in the cockpit, but there are monsters inside the spaceship."_

- _"How many?"_

- _"I don't know." _said Squall _"We only encountered two, but I get the feeling there might be more."_

- _"So at least two monsters alive?"_

- _"One alive, one slain. Both about ten feet tall." _Squall informed the man.

- _"Alright… We'll take care of it. So there are two of you._ _Your names?"_

- _"Squall. I'm a SeeD from Balamb Garden."_ said Squall.

- _"And the other?"_

- _"Rinoa."_

- _"Rinoa?!"_ gasped the man _"The sorceress?! She's on the ship?!"_

            Squall turned and looked at Rinoa, frowning. His facial expression was that of utmost bewilderment. **_'So… It's true? Rinoa is a sorceress?'_** he thought. Rinoa looked up at him, looking downcast beyond belief.

- _"I've…become a sorceress."_ Rinoa uttered _"I can't stay with you anymore, Squall."_

**_            Respond, Ragnarok!_**

- _"Maybe it's for the best…" _Rinoa went on. Both she and Squall were ignoring the voice from the panel _"Besides…They'll all be angry at __me.__"_ she said, eyes watering up.

- _"Angry?"_ Squall asked.__

- _"I don't want the future."_ Rinoa said, shaking her head, while tear ran down her cheek _"I want the present to stand still. I just want to stay here… with you…"_

_            **'Rinoa…' **_Squall thought. He swallowed with difficulty. So this was where their paths split… **_'Good one, Hyne…' _**he spoke to himself **_'Truly good one… You bring a person who gives me nothing but joy in my life, only to take her away… Just when we both need each other the most…' _**

            **_Respond, Ragnarok!_**

- _"Nobody would want to be around me anymore…"_ Rinoa choked out, tears now streaming down her eyes.

**_            The sorceress will be seized upon arrival. Be sure to follow the crew's instructions._**

- _"I'm…scared."_ she whispered.

**_            Squall, do you copy? Is the sorceress listening, too?_**

- _"I'm scared, Squall."_ Rinoa spoke between sobs, turning to look at him _"I don't wanna go back."_

            Her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks wet from tears that burned her like acid. She could barely breathe… Squall sighed and got up from his seat, wrapping his arms around her.

            **_Respond, Ragnarok!_**

            Rinoa hooked her arms upon Squall's shoulder blades, gripping the leather fabric of his jacket tightly. She had buried her face within his chest, wailing. Squall's hands were holding her close to him, one of them buried into her hair.

**_            Squall, do you copy?_**

            This wasn't fair… He'd just found her, he'd just realize what she meant to him and now he had to give her up?

            **_'Rinoa… You bring color into my world of grays. You bring smile upon my lips… How could I _ever _let you go?'_**

****

            He kissed the top of her head.

**_            Respond, Ragnarok!_**  **__**

* * *

            Quistis slowly opened her eyes, feeling something damp touching her forehead gently.

- _"I think she's coming around…" _she heard a familiar female voice say.

            Her eyelids fluttered open and the bright light stroke her vulnerable eyes, making them sting. She squinted, the blurry image in front of her beginning to take shape. Her vision gradually focused and she made out the silhouettes of Ellone and that man from the Lunar Base, Dr. Piet, kneeling on both her sides. Ellone was pressing a damp piece of cloth on her forehead, cleaning up a small cut Quistis got from the crash.

- _"Quisty? Quisty, are you alright honey?" _Ellone asked.

- _"I'm OK…" _mumbled Quistis, slowly sitting up. Her head was still spinning a respectable amount _"What… What happened?"_

- _"The pod crashed." _replied Piet _"We landed here. I was the first one to recover, so I contacted the Lunar Gate Control Tower to locate our co-ordinates and ask them to send someone to pick us up."_

- _"Good thinking…" _said Quistis, rubbing her sore forehead _"What did they say at the Control Tower?"_

- _"They said they'd call Uncle Laguna immediately. They contacted us back and said that he's on his way here right now." _replied Ellone. 

- _"Great," _said Quistis nodding _"But what happened to Squall and Rinoa?"_ she asked worriedly.

- _"They're safe." _replied Ellone smiling _"They found the Ragnarok and landed safely back on Gaia."_

- _"The Ragnarok? Why does this sound familiar…?" _asked Quistis, digging deep into her mind.

- _"Seventeen years ago, it was part of the Estharian army." _said Piet _"A spaceship. It got lost in space during the Sorceress Wars with Adel."_

- _"Ah, yes! I remember reading it in a History book in the Library."_ said Quistis _"So they're OK?" _she asked eagerly.

- _"Yes." _nodded Ellone, still smiling.

- _"Thank Hyne," _said Quistis, sighing in relief _"I thought they'd both be lost forever in space…"_

            Just then, the sound of motor vehicles approaching sounded. Ellone jumped up in delight.

- _"Uncle Laguna is here!" _she squealed in joy _"Come on Quisty, Dr. Piet…" _she said, pulling Quistis up.

            The two girls carefully made their way outside the ruined escape pod, closely followed by Piet. Quistis opened the hatch excitedly, but was greeted with a nasty surprise; the vehicles approaching weren't Estharian **_'Galbadia beat them to it…' _**Quistis thought.

- _"Ellone, stay back." _commanded Quistis in a cold, stern voice, motioning to her big sister not to emerge.

- _"What? Quistis, why-"_began Ellone.

- _"It's not Laguna." _said Quistis firmly, her hand slipping to her Save the Queen _"Galbadians are here…"_

            Ellone gasped and descended back to the floor. Behind her, so did Piet. Quistis thought of going back as well for a moment, but she soon brushed that thought away. It was useless anyway; the Galbadians had probably already seen her and even if they hadn't, they'd barge inside the pod to look for Ellone. She climbed up the hatch and made her way down to the ground, uncoiling her whip from its place next to her hip.

* * *

**_                                                                                                                                                   'I don't know what to do…'_**

****

**_                                                                                             'This is just another crossroad in my life. But, for the first time, I don't know which way to go.'_**

****

**_                                                                                                                                 'I've come this far because I've… fallen for you.'_**

****

**_                                                                                                                                                            '… … Rinoa…'_**

****

**_                                                                                                                                       'Now… am I just supposed to let you go…?'_**

            Sighing, Squall brushed his thoughts away and concentrated on reality, on what was happening right now before his very eyes. He was standing at the open hangar of Ragnarok, now safely having landed upon Estharian grounds. Rinoa had stepped forward, approaching a few guards from Esthar who had come to seize her.

- _"Sorceress Rinoa."_ spoke one of them, addressing the young girl _"Hyne's descendant."_

            **_'Hyne's descendant…' _**thought Squall **_'It makes her sound so… different… To me, she still looks like… Rinoa. Just Rinoa…'_**

- _"Come with us. We must seal your power for the sake of the world."_ spoke the same man.

- _"…All right."_ Rinoa agreed, lowering her head to the ground.

- _"Thank you for understanding."_ said the man _"Tell us when you're ready."_

            Rinoa nodded and walked back to Squall again.

- _"…I should tell you this before I go."_ she spoke _"I was possessed out in space. There was a sorceress inside me. Ultimecia, a sorceress from the future. She's trying to achieve time compression. She's the only one who would be able to exist in such a world. She, and no other. As long as I'm free, she'll continue to use me to accomplish her goal. I…We can't let that happen, right…? …I should go now."_ She walked away.

            Squall had said nothing. He had just stood there, painfully listening to her, hearing her making the most responsible and critical decision of her life. She was going to sacrifice the rest of her so far young life for the protection of the world. So brave… So depressing…

- _"I'm ready."_ she told the guard awaiting her.

- _"All right."_ said the man who'd spoken before _"We'll be heading to the Sorceress Memorial."_

            Rinoa began following them, turning around to look back at Squall for one last time as they left. Something ignited within him then.

- _"Rinoa!"_ he called, sprinting down towards her _"Don't go!"_ he almost pleaded.

            Rinoa turned around slowly, her eyes full of grief. She held his gloved hands, rubbing the leather fabric with her fingers.

- _"Please… Don't make this harder than it already is…" _she whispered _"You know how much I want to stay, but I can't. I have to go."_

She made a move to leave, only to turn around again. She reached up for the chain around her neck and opened it, taking out a silver ring, with a lion's head carving upon it.

- _"I still have your ring."_ she said, grinning awkwardly, and handed it to him.

            Squall took her palm in his hand, and placed Griever inside it. He closed it shut and engulfed it into his own palms.

- _"You keep it."_ he old her.

- _"Are you sure?"_ Rinoa asked, obviously very moved by his gesture.

- _"Yeah." _Squall replied firmly.

            Rinoa smiled at him broadly. A smile like none he'd given him in the past. Usually, hers were full of vivacity, energy. But right now, it was full of poignancy and sorrow.

            She held the ring tightly in her palm for a few seconds, before reaching for her chain again. She placed it back onto the chain, securing it. She slipped the golden chain down her cleavage and moved it to her right, resting her palm upon it. Right above her heart.

- _"Thank you, Squall…" _she said, visibly touched _"This will always be a reminder of the few moments we spent together. They meant **so** much to me… Give everyone my love."_

She leaned forward and placed her palms onto his shoulders.

- _"Even if time freezes still for me for the rest of my life, I'll never forget you, Squall." _she whispered, voice trembling.

            She reached up and placed the softest, most tender kiss on the corner of his lips. She pulled away and he saw a tear rolling down her cheek.

- _"**Never**." _she said and finally turned away.

            Squall, who had so far not moved a single inch, still felt frozen in place. He couldn't phrase a single word, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't blink.

            **_'Game over, Squall…' _**he thought grimly **_'…This is what Rinoa decided. There's nothing you can do about it. Nothing… … Right…?'_**

            Rinoa never looked back.

* * *

            A Galbadian truck stopped a few feet before Quistis, a couple more following suit. She stood up determinedly, one hand encasing the handle of her Save the Queen, the other resting against her hip, curled up in a fist. Out of the first truck, a few Galbadians began to emerge. Three of them, made their way towards Quistis, all wielding their swords. They came to a halt in front of her, the middle one taking another step forward.

- _"We've come-"_ he began.

- _"I **know** what you're here for." _Quistis interrupted him firmly.

- _"Hmmm…" _said the soldier, rubbing his chin _"Spunky little thing, aren't ya?" _

            Behind him, the other two sniggered and exchanged a meaningful look. Quistis narrowed her eyes at the Galbadian in the middle.

- _"Look puppet, there are dozens of us here, and we **know** you're the only one." _he said grinning mockingly _"So why don't you just step aside and let us do what we came here for?"_

- _"Care to make me?" _replied Quistis in a daring manner. The man sighed. 

- _"You're only going to get hurt this way… SeeD or no SeeD, you're no match for so many fully-armed men." _he said.

            Quistis knew he was right of course; she could easily take on those three, but when all of them came out she wouldn't stand the slightest chance of coming out of this alive. However, she wasn't going to just **let **them get Ellone. Maybe she could gain them some time until the Estharian forces –hopefully- arrived. And by Hyne, she **wasn't** going to go down easily…

- _"Maybe so," _Quistis said _"But I'm not just going to walk out. You'll have to go over my dead body."_ The Galbadian let out a bark-like laugh.__

- _"That will probably be the most charming corpse I'll have to go over…" _said the Galbadian, making his two companions snigger again. He sighed _"Your choice… Don't say I didn't warn you. Men…" _

            All three of them advanced on Quistis, seizing her with their blades menacingly. Quistis arched an eyebrow and smirked **_'Hyne, I'm acting like _him_ now…' _**she thought, her mind trailing off to Seifer. Would she ever see him again after today? If he'd gone into space instead of her like he'd offered, it would be **him** in her place now… **_'Better me than him…' _**she thought, and took a deep breath.

            With one skillful move, she cracked her whip in the air, swinging it towards the rightmost soldier's sword. The flexible tentacle of Save the Queen coiled around it, then dragged the gunblade towards the left, to which direction Quistis was moving it. The three gunblades clattered together. One skillful swing and the whip coiled around all of them, the pointy barbs on its tip securing them into place. Without further ado, Quistis fiercely pulled her whip backwards, thus disarming all three men, throwing their weapons a few feet behind her. The Galbadians all stared at Quistis in awe, as the blonde Instructor cracked her whip in the air once more and folded her arms in front of her chest.

- _"You were saying?" _said Quistis smugly.

- _"You asked for it, bitch!" _said the soldier in the middle _"Attack!" _he yelled, turning his head towards the trucks behind him.

            Immediately, more soldiers started to come out of the other two trucks. Quistis pursed her lips and prepared herself for the worst **_'This is it…' _**she thought. All soldiers pointed their weapons at her, the sound of dozens of gun cocks clicking, piercing the air. Just then, the distant hum of aircrafts approaching was heard. Everyone looked up in the sky, seeing three Estharian airships in the horizon. A broad smile illuminated Quistis' face. The supersonic aircrafts ripped through the air within seconds, quickly descending to the ground.          

* * *

_                                                                                                                                                      A few minutes earlier…_

            Seifer appeared into the hangar, clad in an all-black uniform, the official one of the Estharian Air Forces. He was wearing a pair of military pants, tucked inside his boots, a woolen turtleneck and a bullet-proof vest on top, with a silver 'E' monogram knitted on the left side of the chest and the emblem of the country of Esthar in the back. He had his Hyperion suspended from his belt and was holding a black helmet in his hand. Inside the hangar, Laguna, Kiros and Ward, whom Seifer recognized from the 'Dream World', along with a dozen more similarly dressed men were waiting.

- _"Who's he?" _asked one of the soldiers.

- _"Commander Almasy, of the __Balamb__Garden__ SeeDs to **you**." _Seifer said arrogantly.

- _"Sir, he's not trained for this. If he really **must** join us for this battle, shouldn't he at least be with the army in the trucks?" _said the same soldier to Laguna.

- _"And wear one of those gay, flashy uniforms?! Not in your life jack-ass…" _said Seifer, putting on his helmet, earning a glare from the aforementioned soldier.

- _"I never really liked those myself," _said Laguna grinning _"Maybe I should change them…"_ he added, rubbing his chin. Ward grunted and made an exasperated gesture with his arms.

- _"Ward just said: To the point, Laguna…" _Kiros mumbled.

- _"Right, right…" _said Laguna, snapping out of it _"Seifer, can you handle a machine gun?"_

- _"Yeah, sure." _said Seifer shrugging, tying the leash under his helmet to secure it in place _"But I've got my gunblade, so I won't need it."_

- _"We'll need to be covered while descending, so you'll need to use a gun. At least until you're on ground. When you're there, just hand it to Laguna and use your own weapon." _said Kiros.

- _"Fair enough." _said the blond.

- _"Mathews, get him an M3."_ Laguna ordered the soldier who had spoken before.

- _"Yes sir." _mumbled the man, running to the closet behind to retrieve the requested weapon.

            He came back immediately, holding a massive black gun, carefully handing it to Seifer. The blond Commander held it up, aiming around to test it. He smirked and held it back down.

- _"I like it…" _he said _"__Irvine__'s gonna get a kick out of this… Have you contacted them?"_ he asked Laguna.

- _"Yes. They're on the ground team and will join us as soon as they get there." _the President replied.

- _"I'll give them a call to get their status." _said Seifer, resting the tip of the gun to the metal floor.

            He dug into his pocket and retrieved his cell-phone, dialing a number, while undoing the leash of his helmet. He pulled it up to his forehead and brought the small phone to his ear. It rang about three times before someone answered.

- _"Hey Seify!" _said a chirpy, enthusiastic voice on the other end of the line. Seifer rolled his eyes.

- _"Selphie," _he said _"We're airborne and about to reach destination. Where are you?"_

- _"We're on our way as well. We should be there about ten or fifteen minutes after you arrive."_ replied the auburn-haired girl.

- _"Are Squall and Rinoa with you?" _he asked.

- _"No, they've only just landed from what I've heard." _said Selphie _"It's just me, Irvy and Zelly."_

- _"OK. I'll see you down there." _said Seifer.

- _"Bye!" _

            The tall blond terminated the call and put his cell-phone back in his pocket.

- _"We've reached them." _said a soldier, coming from the cockpit _"There's about thirty of them down there."_

- _"Alright, blast the bastards with the machine guns to clear the way!" _ordered Laguna.

- _"And you'd better not hurt Quistis!" _threatened Seifer, pointing his index finger at him _"Or anyone else." _he added.

            The soldier nodded and made his way back to the cockpit. Seifer put his helmet back on and secured it. He grabbed his M3 and walked towards the hatch of the hangar, where everyone was now gathered. He followed everyone's example in reaching for a steel wire to lower him down. He slid the hoops up to his crotch and secured the wire, now tied around his waist and groin. He grabbed the end of the wire and placed the hook on the line above the hatch, locking it. He looked outside the window and prepared himself mentally for what was about to come.

**_                                                                                                                                                      'I'm coming, Quistis…'_**

* * *

            Quistis looked up at the sky and smiled; they were saved.

            The first Estharian aircraft did a diversion maneuver to avoid the first bullets thrown by the Galbadians. The ship made a full three-sixty turn and then began descending, while the machine guns got set up. Quistis got the point immediately and made a run for it towards the pod for safety. The aircraft made a wild dive and shot a first round of bullets down to the trucks, blowing one of them up. All the soldiers ran for cover, but six of them never made it. The aircraft ascended back up in the air, while the second one came down this time, for another round. Meanwhile, on the first aircraft, the Air Force soldiers, along with Seifer, Laguna, Kiros and Ward got prepared to land.

            Quistis fought her way to the pod, staying in the entrance, to prevent anyone from approaching it. She looked back up at the sky and saw the hatch of the first aircraft opening. Within seconds, a soldier clad in all-black began to descend, securely tied on a strong wire. He was soon followed by many others, who held one hand tightly on the wire, while shooting rounds with their massive black M3s. She winced as she witnessed on of them get shot and hang lifeless in mid-air. The rest of them soon reached the ground and proceeded in untying themselves.  

* * *

            Seifer was only ten feet above the ground. He carefully lowered himself down, while shooting a round of bullets through his machine gun to remain covered. His booted feet soon made hard contact with the terrain. Next to him, many similar thuds of soldiers reaching soil were heard.

- _"Anderson, Syler, Davis, Jacobs, cover us!" _Seifer recognized Laguna's voice say.

            The four men rushed in front, still bound to their wires and began shooting. Behind them, the rest took the opportunity to unlock their wires. Seifer hastily undid his and ran over to the unarmed Laguna, tossing him his M3.

- _"Good job, Seifer." _Laguna told him, taking the gun in his hands _"Get a few men and go check the pod. Stay there and guard it."_

- _"Got it." _said Seifer, pulling out his Hyperion from his belt.__

- _"Four of you go with Commander Almasy!" _Laguna called to his soldiers _"Make sure you keep him secured at all times. Go!"_

            Immediately, four Estharians walked over to Seifer and followed him down the trail towards the location of the escape pod, camouflaged behind a small forest in the hills right ahead of them. Two of soldiers stayed behind Seifer, while two ran before him, throwing around glances and shooting from time to time to keep him intact.

* * *

            Quistis ran up to the hatch of the pod and pulled it open. She hastily climbed inside, meeting with a worried Ellone and Piet.

- _"Quisty! What's going on out there?!"_ Ellone asked anxiously.

- _"The Galbadians came first, but now we've got back-up from Esthar. A battle has broken out, but we're armed better. Make sure you stay here!" _Quistis warned the older girl.

- _"Alright. What about you?" _asked Ellone.

- _"I'm going back up. Dr. Piet, please take care of Ellone and of yourself." _Quistis said, running back to the staircase.

            She made her way back to the hatch and emerged outside again. She closed the hatch and jumped down to the ground. Right then, she saw five soldiers dressed in black, coming towards her. She recognized them as few of the ones who had come down of the first aircraft just before. Two of them ran in front, one in the middle and two in the back. The man in the middle suddenly passed by the others and ran in front. Quistis noticed that he was the only one not carrying an M3, but a gunblade. An awfully familiar gunblade… The man hastily reached for his helmet and unleashed in from underneath, while going on running. He pulled it up to his forehead and the sight of him made Quistis's face elucidate.

            Seifer…

- _"Quistis!" _yelled Seifer, now less than fifteen feet away from her.

            Quistis beamed as he sprinted towards her, halting only inches before her. He looked sweaty and a bit smudged on the face by dust and was panting, but his eyes and lips were smiling broadly. He took a step forward, but bit his lip and pulled back, grinning at Quistis awkwardly. Quistis blushed a bit and chuckled.

- _"So… You're safe…" _said Seifer, breathing heavily.

- _"Yeah… And so is everyone else." _replied Quistis _"Ellone and Piet have been inside the pod all the time."_

- _"They're both OK, right?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Fine, fine…" _replied Quistis, looking down at her feet.

- _"What happened to your forehead?" _Seifer asked, pulling her face up by placing a crooked finger under her chin.

- _"Oh that… Just a small scratch… From the crash…" _she replied.

- _"Nothing to worry about, I hope…?" _he asked, grinning.

- _"No, no… So, erm… How come **you're** here?" _she asked.

- _"I was in Laguna's office when he received the call from the Control Tower, so I tagged along. Selphie, __Irvine__ and Chick- er… Zell are on their way with the ground team as well." _replied the tall blond _"Laguna ordered me and these men to guard the pod." _he added, pointing at the four men behind him. They all nodded at Quistis and she nodded back _"Maybe you should go inside the pod now. It's gonna get rough out here…"_ he said softly.

            Quistis expression suddenly changed from mild and smiling to slightly aggravated.

- _"In case you've forgotten, I'm a SeeD too, **Commander**…" _she said folding her arms, sarcastically emphasizing the last word.

- _"Fine, **Instructor**, but I was only saying that because you're not as protected as everyone else here." _said Seifer, getting a bit annoyed himself now _"All of us are wearing bullet-proof jackets and helmets."_

- _"He's right ma'am, we're all-"_ began a soldier standing behind Seifer, but a mere icy glare from Quistis made him zip it.

- _"Geez, don't get all worked up on the man! He was only trying to help!" _protested Seifer, throwing his hands upwards in exasperation.

- _"I'll be quite alright, thank you very much, Almasy…" _Quistis stubbornly insisted.

- _"Fine Trepe, have it your way!" _said Seifer _"But don't come crawling to me when you're hurt. I'm just gonna say: I told you so!"_

- _"I **won't**!" _shouted Quistis, narrowing her eyes.

- _"Fine!"_

- _"**Fine**!"_

- _"**FINE**!"_

            Quistis turned her back at him, while Seifer put his helmet back on, lowering the visor. He walked back to the soldiers and stood there, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

- _"Having girlfriend issues, Commander?"_ said Mathews sarcastically.

- _"She's my **colleague**, you moron!" _growled Seifer.

- _"Suuuure…" _said Mathews, shrugging indifferently.

- _"Fuck off, Mathews…"_ mumbled Seifer.

            Silence overtook all of them. None of them was speaking and they were all looking around at the battle heating up. However, no Galbadians were approaching the pod. Not even one.

            Seifer sighed, crossing his arms, still waiting. And waiting… And waiting… Waiting…

- _"What the fuck is this?! Are we just gonna sit here and wait until the others eliminate all the Galbadians?!"_ he burst out eventually, exasperated.

- _"The President ordered us to do so. We must stay here and guard the pod." _replied one of the soldiers.

- _"Guard it from **what**?!" _Seifer asked sarcastically.

            No sooner had he finished his sentence, than a swarm of Galbadians rushed out of the woods, all climbing atop the pod. Seifer immediately turned around and began shooting them off with his gunblade, the four Estharian soldiers following suit. Quistis ducked and crept over to them, then turned around momentarily to the other battlefield and shouted.

- _"More of them are coming in trucks!"_

- _"How many trucks?" _Seifer shouted, to be overheard from the gunshot.__

- _"About ten!" _Quistis yelled back horrified. __

- _"SHIT! They knew we'd come! It's a fucking ambush!" _yelled Seifer.

* * *

- _"Are we there yet?"_

- _"Not yet."_

- _"……Are we there yet?"_

- _"Nope."_

- _"………Are we there **yet**?"_

- _"No…"_

- _"…………Are we there **yeeeet**…?"_

- _"NO."_

- _"……………………**Are. We. There. Yet**?"_

- _"Yes."_

- _"Really?!"_

- _"**NO**!!!!"_

- _"Well, how much longer till we get there?!" _Selphie whined at the driver.__

            All three of her, Irvine and Zell were now inside one of the four Estharian trucks, heading for the location of the Lunar Base pod. They were all clad in Estharian uniforms, much to Zell and Irvine's dislike, but on the contrary, much to Selphie's **delight**… The miniscule girl was standing right next to the driver of the truck, while the guys were sitting in the back with the rest of the soldiers in their troop.

- _"You asked me two minutes ago!" _protested the driver indignantly.

- _"Well, it's takin' too frickin' long!" _Selphie spat back.

- _"HERE!" _yelled the driver, pointing at the clearing ahead of them, were lots of raucous came from _"We're there already!" _he added.

- _"Booyaka!" _chirped the girl, jumping up and down _"I'll go tell the others!" _she added, running to the back of the truck.

            She struggled her way through many other soldiers –_"Scuuuuse me!"- _hastily getting to the back. Zell and Irvine were sitting among a dozen or so soldiers.

- _"We're there!" _she squealed.

- _"Finally!" _Zell said with a sigh and got up.

            Everyone soon followed his example and started to get ready for the upcoming battle. The blond cracked his knuckles and began punching the air vigorously, while Irvine took out his shotgun, loading it.

- _"Sir," _said an Estharian soldier, approaching Irvine _"The President suggested that we offer you one of these." _he added, presenting an M3 to Irvine _"They're the guns our Air Force Commando unit uses."_

            Irvine suspended his shotgun back from his belt and took the colossal weapon in his hands, as if he'd just been presented with treasure. He looked at it in awe, running his fingers over its shiny black metal edges. He held it up in both hands and aimed around a bit.

- _"Hell yeah!" _he said excitedly _"**That's** what I'm talkin' about!"_ 

* * *

            Seifer and the four Estharian soldiers were still shooting off as many Galbadians as possible, to prevent them from entering the pod. Seifer had gently pushed Quistis behind him before; although she was a magnificent fighter, her close range weapon was of now use right now. He kept reloading his Hyperion, as it could only shoot a round of six bullets as opposed to the ones the Estharians were wielding. Suddenly he turned back to look at her, while reaching for more bullets in his pants.

- _"Go find Laguna and tell him we need reinforcements here." _he said _"Sooner or later they'll infiltrate the pod and if they threaten us with Ellone's life we won't be able to do a thing."_

- _"Got it." _said Quistis and made a move to leave, but Seifer grabbed her wrist.__

            Quistis looked at his eyes, through the open visor of his helmet. Seifer's palm moved to her nape, and even through his gloved touch, her skin shivered.

- _"Just… Be careful, OK?" _he said softly.

- _"You too." _said Quistis nodding and ran off.__

            She turned around and took one last look at him, before dashing away to find Laguna. 

* * *

            Selphie swung her nunchaku in the air, across a Galbadian's neck. The chain holding the two nunchaks together coiled around the man's throat and Selphie swiftly grabbed the other nunchak, squeezing the gullet trapped in the way of her weapon. The man gagged and choked, falling down on his knees. Selphie laid a hard hit straight on his face with her knee, knocking him out. She uncoiled her weapon from the Galbadian's neck and did a small triumphant dance. Next to her, Zell had grabbed another one from the shirt and was punching him mercilessly to the point he passed out. In front of them, Irvine was making sure they were covered, by shooting every possible threat away. The young cowboy was thrilled beyond imagination by the slaying machine gun he wielded.

- _"I can't believe I've been using a measly shotgun all this time!" _he yelled excitedly at some point _"These M3s are killeeeeeeeeeer!"_ he yelled in excitement__

- _"What **I** can't believe, is that you're wearing your hat with that ridiculous uniform…"_ said Zell, shaking his head in disbelief, tossing the unconscious body of a Galbadian to the side.

- _"That hat's my lucky charm, my friend…" _said Irvine _"I don't take a single step without it…"_

            Irvine reloaded his gun hastily and began shooting more rounds of bullets in ecstasy, while dozens of empty metallic shells clattered on the ground, falling from the machine gun. Selphie cracked her nunchaku in the air, getting prepared for the next enemy, until she saw the stealthily moving figure of a blonde woman clad in a peach gear.

- _"QUISTY!" _she shouted from afar.

            Selphie's cry caught Quistis's attention and the blonde girl turned around for a split second; it was enough.

            Zell, who had by now noticed Quistis as well, opened his eyes to full width.

- _"QUISTIS, BEHIND YOU!!!" _he yelled.

* * *

- _"QUISTIS, BEHIND YOU!!!" _Zell yelled.

            The young Instructor turned around just in time, to find a Galbadian soldier lunging down to her from a tree. She dove away from him, avoiding the swipe of his sword for less than an inch. The metal blade cut through the rough terrain and the soldier got up to his feet immediately. Quistis's hand was already wrapped around her whip, ready to teach that man what **real** pain was all about.

- _"Not so fast…"_ the Galbadian sneered at her, pulling out a small handgun from his belt.

            Quistis stopped dead in her tracks.  

* * *

- _"QUISTYYYY!!!" _Selphie shrieked in horror.

            Irvine, Zell and she had been running towards Quistis the moment they saw the Galbadian dropping down to her, but were already too late.

            The man had secured her with a firm grip around the neck, while pushing his handgun against her temple, now dragging her away towards the direction Quistis had come from.

            Teeth clenching, Selphie swung around her nunchaku and prepared to dash forward, when a hand grabbed her from the shoulder, keeping her in place.

- _"He might kill Quistis if he sees us approaching." _Irvine told her, now loosening his grip on her shoulder.

- _"But we can't just let him get away with her!" _Selphie protested.

- _"No, Selphie… __Irvine__'s right." _said Zell _"We'd better go find the President and gather some forces before we go after her._

- _"OK, fine…" _Selphie said half-heartedly _"But hurry! We might be too late!"_

* * *

            Seifer dug into his pocket, frantically reloading his weapon, while the four Estharian soldiers around him were keeping him covered. He loaded Hyperion and raised it up to his eyes to aim, when one of the men next to him lifted his hand up.

            Immediately, all Galbadians stopped shooting.

- _"What the…?" _Seifer mumbled, looking around him bewildered.

            Everyone, Estharians included, had stopped shooting by now. The three other soldiers next to Seifer shared a puzzled look with him as well. The fourth one, raised the visor of his helmet and motioned towards the woods. It was Mathews… And a swarm of fully armed Galbadians had emerged from the woods behind by his mere signal, all pointing their guns at Seifer and the three other soldiers.

- _"You fucking traitor!" _one of the men Seifer recognized as William Gibson yelled at Mathews _"I **told** the President he shouldn't have trusted you, you **weasel**!"_

- _"Zip it, Gibson." _Mathews sneered, without even turning to look at him _"You five." _he ordered five Galbadians still standing upon the pod _"Open the hatch."_

Narrowing his jade eyes, Seifer slowly placed his fingers around the trigger of Hyperion, hand wrapping around the handle.

- _"Sir!" _yelled one of the Galbadians, pointing his gun at Seifer.

            Mathews wheeled around immediately, just in tine to see Seifer mumbling a furry of curses under his breath. Meanwhile, the Galbadians had already opened the hatch and were preparing to descend inside.

- _"Not a wise move… **Commander**."_ he said, smirking _"And I'd advise you not to try and play hero **this** time, because we've got you by the balls."_ Seifer scoffed.__

- _"Go ahead. Shoot __me.__" _he spat at Mathews _"Do you think I'm fucking scared? I was **raised** not to fear death, you cowardly piece of shit."_

- _"Shoot you?" _Mathew said, going into a fit of laughter _"Oh noooo, Almasy… You're much too valuable to me for the time being…"_

- _"What the hell are you on about?" _Seifer said, frowning.

- _"Hmmm… Let's see… Thomas should be arr- Ahh, there he is…" _Mathews said, grinning, looking towards the direction Quistis had run to only a few minutes ago.

            Seifer turned around as well, eyes widening at the sight. A Galbadian soldier was approaching, dragging Quistis by a firm grip around the neck, pointing a gun at her head. The man Mathews had called Thomas stopped right before them, pressing his gun tighter against Quistis's temple.

- _"Quistis…"_ Seifer said breathlessly.

            Right on cue, the five Galbadians emerged. Two of them had seized Ellone, a third one pointing his gun at her back. Dr. Piet was nowhere to be seen.

- _"ELLONE!!!"_ Quistis shrieked.

            Seifer clenched his teeth, breathing heavily.

- _"MOTHER:beep:ER! A:beep:S - LI:beep:ING SON – OF – A - B:beep:H!!! C:beep:K - SU:beep:ING PIECE OF SH:beep:T! I'LL F:beep:ING BLOW YOUR A:beep:S TO PIECES!!! JUST WAIT 'TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOUR F:beep:ING THROAT! YOU'LL REGRET THE F:beep:ING DAY YOUR WH:beep:E OF A MOTHER EVER PUSHED YOU OUTTA HER SL:beep:T-A:beep:S C:beep:T!!!!" _he yelled, mad from anger.

            Everyone within the vicinity of Seifer's voice raised both eyebrows up at his outburst, Quistis included. Mathews chuckled.

- _"Charming…" _he sneered _"Now…I'm going to show the magnitude of my mercy and make a deal with you, Almasy." _Mathews addressed the blond _"You keep your people away from us and that little freak, Ellone, and no harm happens to **her**." _he finished, motioning with his head towards Quistis.

- _"GO TO HELL!!!" _Quistis spat back at him _"Seifer, don't listen to him! Don't let them get Ellone!"_

            Seifer was all of a sudden found torn between duty and emotion. It was either going to be the peace of the world, or **his** inner world peace…

- _"Son-of-a-bitch…" _Seifer mumbled, looking down to the ground, frowning.

- _"What will it be, Almasy?" _Mathews asked _"Your girl… Or the freak of nature?"_

- _"DON'T CALL ELLONE A FREAK, YOU BASTARD!!!" _Quistis yelled in fury. She turned to Seifer again _"Seifer, don't worry about me! Save Ellone! I'm not worth it!"_

            The Galbadian that had seized Quistis, wrapped his arm tighter around her throat and leaned closer to her, pressing his lips next to her ear.

- _"You shut up now… Be a good girl and we'll have a **great** time together…" _he hissed huskily into her ear.

            Seifer's eyes widened. Mad rage was dancing around in his irises as he saw Quistis's disgusted expression. The seeds of malice that always hid inside Seifer Almasy began to grow in tremendous speed within him. His eyes were the eyes of a dangerous man right now… The eyes of a bloodthirsty murderer eyeing his next victim…

- _"If you hurt so much of a single **hair** from her head," _he croaked out, voice ominous _"I'll make sure you'll be choking on your own balls…"_

Mathew laughed loudly.

- _"Aww…" _he cooed mockingly _"How sweet… Behold the power of love…_ _Heh… I like this guy…" _he said between chuckles _"But you still haven't given me an answer, Almasy. What's it going to be?" _he asked again.

            Seifer didn't speak.

- _"Seifer, **please**!" _Quistis pleaded _"I don't **care** what happens to me!"_

            Seifer looked into her bloodshot eyes. She was ready to surrender her own life, so that Ellone and the world with her could be spared. She was begging him with her eyes to back away and let her go. Seifer looked away.

- _"You win, Mathews…" _he mumbled _"Just let her go…"_

- _"What…?" _Quistis said breathlessly.__

- _"Let her go?" _Mathews said, grinning _"We're taking her with us to make sure you keep your promise, Almasy… But you've got my promise. She'll be safe…"_

- _"What?!" _Seifer bellowed _"You told me it was either her or Ellone, you fuck!" _

- _"You can't expect me to take your word for it…" _Mathews chuckled.__

            Clenching his fists, Seifer lunged towards Mathews. He didn't get far though; the moment he took the first step, a soldier locked his arms in a tight grip from behind. Another one pointed a gun at his head.

- _"Seifer!" _Quistis shouted in worry.

- _"Well now…" _said Mathews _"Since we have Commander Almasy's consent, we'll be running along now."_

- _"NO! **QUISTIS**!!!" _Seifer yelled, as he watched Thomas drag her away.

            All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a bullet hissed through the air and pierced its way right through the skull of the man threatening Seifer with a gun. The tall blond turned around abruptly, just in time to catch glimpse of a corpse falling down to the ground in a crumble.

            Mathews looked around him bewildered, trying to determine where the rogue bullet had come from.

- _"YOU!" _he yelled, pointing at a few men _"Get the truck and take Ellone away from here!"_

- _"NO!" _shouted Quistis, as the men complied and dragged Ellone back into the woods and towards the truck Mathews had spoken of. __

            This time, a flurry of bullets flew out of nowhere once again, taking out the few remaining Galbadians lingering around.

            Not losing a single second, Seifer landed a hard hit with his head on the man who had seized him. He nudged him backwards and advanced on Mathews, giving him a hard kick on the knee. The loud crack of bones crushing was drowned within Mathew's scream, as he fell to the ground, shrieking in pain.

            Seifer drew out Hyperion and pointed it at the fallen man's throat.

- _"One wrong move," _Seifer said huskily between heavy breaths _"And the R.I.P. on **your** tombstone will translate as Resting In **Pieces**, motherfucker." _He smirked _"You." _he addressed Thomas who was still holding Quistis in a firm grip _"Let her go. **Now**."_

- _"You think I care if you kill that idiot?" _Thomas sneered _"I'll take pleasure in seeing the look on your face as your bitch bleeds to death."_

            He laid a disgusting kiss on Quistis's cheek and clicked the cock of his handgun. The irises in Seifer's eyes dilated, hiding the jade color almost entirely. He felt his heart stop beating and his breath die upon his lips.

**                                                                                                                                                                   BANG!**

            Seifer felt as if all life was drained from within him. His eyes never left Quistis's form, but he watched in awe as her body remained standing, while Thomas's fell limp and lifeless on the ground.

            Quistis stood frozen in spot, looking at Seifer, a terrified expression still plastered on her face. Seifer slowly took a few trembling steps towards her, not believing what had just happened. Quistis almost collapsed into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. Seifer let out a sigh of utmost relief and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back in comfort. Quistis was trembling wildly within his embrace.

- _"It's over now…" _Seifer whispered to her, kissing the top of her head gingerly _"All over…"_

            Quistis gently placed her palms on his chest and pulled back a bit.

- _"I can't believe what you did before…"_ she choked out _"You chose **me**…"_

            Seifer smiled weakly at her and run a crooked finger down her cheek.

- _"I'd **never** let anyone hurt you." _he told her_ "**Never**, you hear?"_

            Quistis's lips trembled, as she slipped her hands up to cup his face.

- _"QUISTY!!! SEIFER!!!" _

Both blondes turned around abruptly. And the answer to the mystery of the rogue bullets was immediately answered. Selphie, Zell and Irvine were running towards them, Laguna and a few soldiers along with them. A grand sniper riffle was resting upon Irvine's shoulder…

- _"Quisty, you're alright!!!" _Selphie exclaimed.

            She rushed right between the two embracing blondes, wrapping her arms around Quistis's neck tightly. Seifer took a step back, rolling his eyes.

- _"Where's Ellone?!!!" _Laguna yelled desperately, dashing forward.

            No sooner had he finished his sentence, than the distant sound of a truck rumbling was heard. They all watched as the truck sped out from the woods and passed by the in tremendous speed.

- _"Ellone's in there!"_ Quistis yelled, pointing at the truck.

            Immediately, two blurs of black brushed by everyone, sprinting towards the truck. One of them was Laguna. The other… Seifer.

            The young Commander was running faster than he ever had in his entire life. It was his fault that Ellone had been kidnapped; he had chosen Quistis over her and now it was time to make up for it. He had to rescue Ellone at all cost…

            Laguna was running as fast as he could as well, but Seifer's younger years had given him a greater advantage. However, the truck was gaining more and more speed and was inching away from them with each passing second. Laguna took out his machine gun and fired right at the tires. His aim was perfect, but the tires were indestructible; the bullet just bounced away.

            Still running, they came across a clearing, where the heated battle had taken place only a few minutes ago. Aside from scattered lifeless bodies all over the vicinity, almost all the Galbadian trucks had fled. Only two of them lingered. One of them held Ellone captive, while the other was just getting ready to leave and follow the one right ahead.

            Seifer heard the engine rumbling and dove forward. His gloved palms grabbed hold of the back part of the car just in time, before it sped away. The tall blond winced while the friction between the ground and his booted feet got greater and greater as the truck accelerated.

- _"SEIFER, WHAT ARE YOU **DOING**?!!!"_

            A distant shriek. And it belonged to Quistis; Seifer could easily tell that was her voice even from miles away. He smirked. He was never one to hide that he liked 'stealing' everyone's attention in sometimes ostentatious manner… Clenching his teeth, he began climbing to the back of the speeding truck with great effort. The uniform he was wearing was too heavy for the weather, the sun right above them was emitting scorching heat, he was already exhausted, the truck kept wobbling after running over the countless corpses sprawled onto the terrain and the dust that had risen form the truck tires slicing the desert ground wasn't helping him either…

            He had just managed to climb atop the back part of the speeding vehicle, when the sunroof slid open and one of the soldiers inside emerged. He held out his handgun and aimed straight at Seifer. However, the truck run right over yet another corpse and the Galbadian lost his balance. The shot missed Seifer for mere inches. The young Commander lost no more time and jumped upon the soldier. He grabbed him by the waist, bringing him rolling on the roof of the truck along with him. He got a firm grip of the Galbadian's armed hand, pointing the handgun away from him.

            The two kept rolling atop the truck in between hard kicks and punches. At some point, a hard punch on the chin made Seifer lose the lead on the fight and found himself lying below the soldier. The Galbadian tried to shoot him once more, but Seifer managed to push his arm away. The bullet pierced the metal surface of the truck and disappeared. The sound of glass being shattered was heard. All of a sudden, the truck made a sharp turn to the left and sped away, following a completely different route from the vehicle ahead, which held Ellone inside.

            The Galbadian shot a quick glance down the sunroof and cursed loudly.

            It didn't require a tremendous amount of brain cells to deduce that it was the driver who had just been shot.

            Seizing the opportunity of his opponent's distracted attention, Seifer gave him a hard kick on the crotch. The soldier doubled up in pain and Seifer managed to punch his gun away. He pushed the man's weight off him and tried to get up on his feet. He had to get off this vehicle; it had already distanced away from the truck ahead a great amount. He heard a distant scream, but couldn't make out the words… He managed to carefully get up and made a run for the back of the truck to jump down, but the Galbadian grabbed hold of his ankle and pulled him down. Seifer hissed and cursed, turning around to give the soldier a piece of his mind, when the sight right behind his made his heart stop…

- _"Aw, shit…"_ he croaked out.__

* * *

            Quistis was sprinting ahead of the small group following her. Zell, Irvine and Selphie were right behind her, all of them running after the truck upon which Seifer had climbed. The moment they'd heard the gunshot and had seen the vehicle change route completely, they'd realized something had just gone **very **wrong.

            The speeding truck was headed right for the deep chasm to their left and didn't seem to be changing route the slightest bit.

- _"SEIFER!!! GET OFF THE TRUCK **NOW**!!!"_ Quistis screamed.

            She kept running ahead like there was no tomorrow. Her strength was fading away ounce by ounce, but she didn't care. She couldn't stop **now**.

            The truck was only a few dozens of feet way from the cliff and Seifer was **still** on it. It was getting closer… And closer… **_'No…' _**

            Her eyes widened and her heart stopped beating in a split second.

            The truck had fallen off the cliff.

- _"**SEIFEEEEEER!!!**"_

               

* * *

   

            Quistis was kneeling down on the edge of the cliff, staring at the chasm blankly. Silent tears were streaming down her cheeks. Next to her, Selphie was kneeling as well, her palms clamped to her mouth, utterly speechless. Zell and Irvine were standing up, looking down the chasm as well. Irvine had taken his hat off and was holding it against his chest. Zell seemed quite as devastated as all of them as well, even though he'd never really liked Seifer all that much.

            All the Estharian trucks were gone now. Only one had stayed behind, to take the four of them, along with Laguna, Kiros and Ward back to Esthar. After getting a hold of himself and making sure Mathews was seized, Laguna was informed about Seifer's accident and was now on his way along with his two companions over to the cliff where the four young SeeDs were standing. Ward and Kiros remained standing next to Irvine and Zell, while Laguna walked over to Quistis and kneeled down next to her. He rested his hand on Quistis' shoulder and sighed, looking down at the burning debris that was once the Galbadian truck.

- _"Quistis," _he spoke softly _"I realize he was really special to you… And I'm sure then can be no consolation whatsoever for what has happened. I-I… I just… wanted to say that… Seifer was a really fine young man and soldier…" _

- _"He's right." _said Zell weakly _"Although I never really got along with him, I-I admired him… I suppose he wasn't that bad a guy after all… He just… He just taunted people. In the long run, I… I realize he was probably just joking around…" _he trailed off.__

            Quistis' eyes filled with even more silent tears now. Silence overtook them. Kiros approached Laguna and handed him Hyperion, which they'd found lying on the ground just some feet away from the cliffside. Laguna nodded at him and gently handed it to Quistis. The blonde took it into her arms and held it tightly against her chest, sniffing. Quistis suddenly spoke for the first time after the shriek she had let out while watching Seifer disappear down the cliff.

- _"I've lost him…" _she said faintly _"And I never even… talked to him… about…" _She paused_ "Five minutes would have been enough…"_

            Selphie bit her lips roughly to suppress a sob. Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent once again.

* * *

            The stillness of the cliffside was almost eerie. A black bird flew over to the tree next to the edge of the cliff, then flew down and began poking the ground with its beak. All of a sudden, a scratched, dirty palm slapped the surface of the edge of the cliff. The bird flew away immediately, leaving a few raven feathers behind. The palm that had just emerged, searched blindly for the root protruding from the dried up old tree. The tormented fingers engulfed it and grabbed it tightly, aiding another hand to come out, grabbing the same sturdy root. Both hands slowly pulled up a bodyweight, while a groan of exhaustion was let out from the lips of the man who had just surfaced.

            He was wearing the all-black Air Force uniform of Esthar, although it was now pretty much torn to pieces. His pale blond hair was dirty with soil and his face, aside from dripping with beads of sweat, bore many bleeding scratches aside from a permanent scar right across his forehead and bridge of the nose. Seifer Almasy pulled himself up with difficulty, resting with his stomach onto the ground. Pushing his palms against the soil, he climbed atop the cliffside, falling down in a crumple on his back. He breathed heavily and ran a hand through his filthy, damp from the sweat hair. He turned his head to his right, where he saw his friends sitting at the edge of the cliff only a few feet away. Laguna and the others were with them and they were all staring down to the chasm.

            Seifer aided himself up with difficulty and staggered his way towards them. He walked right behind them and stopped among the ones standing up. He leaned forward to see what everyone was looking at, wobbling unsteadily. He took a deep breath and let out a low whistle at the sight of the demolished Galbadian truck in flames. It was then that everyone noticed him. Zell was the first to turn his head to his left and stare at Seifer, eyes wide open. All of them followed suit, looking at him bewildered. Seifer gave them a puzzled look, as if saying 'What?' Selphie kept gawking from him to the chasm and back, unable to phrase a single word.

            Quistis was the last one to turn around. She moved her teary gaze up to him and her eyes shot open. Her lips parted and her heart began beating again. Seifer shot her a questioning look, as she slowly got up to her feet, letting Hyperion slide to the ground. She walked over to him, never breaking eye contact. She stood before him, still, for a few seconds before slipping her palms against his cheeks, cupping them.

- _"I thought you were gone…" _she choked out.

            Seifer grinned weakly and was about to speak, when Quistis pulled his face down to hers and pressed her lips upon his hard. Seifer's eyes shot open and he took in a sharp breath, utterly surprised. Shyly, he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. Around them, Selphie had covered her lips with both palms, grinning from ear to ear, while ideas for weddings and baby showers were running through her head. Next to her, Irvine had rested his hand on her shoulder and was smiling broadly as well. Zell shook his head in disbelief and turned away.

            Quistis eventually pulled away and, giving a warm smile to Seifer, hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest.

- _"So…" _Zell broke the silence _"Can we get goin' now? We have to meet Squall and Rinoa at the Ragnarok."_

- _"Zell is right. You should go ahead and we'll see what we can find out about Ellone's whereabouts." _Laguna said.__

- _"Come on you two…" _Selphie said, winking at Seifer and Quistis _"Let's go."_

            The two blondes followed Irvine, Selphie and Zell towards one of the trucks waiting for them to depart. Laguna chuckled heartily and gave Seifer a firm playful slap on the back, making him stagger forward. Seifer rubbed his sore back and tediously followed everyone, holding Quistis around the shoulder. He was just staring around blankly, until his eyes locked upon Zell. He cocked an eyebrow, then grinned.

- _"Chicken-wuss, what the **fuck** are you wearing?!"_

* * *

**A/N:** So Seifer and Quis are officially together… Kinda… Just wait till the next chapter

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_A rescue mission and a night that two people will **never** forget… _


	36. Chapter 35: Sway among the fireflies

**A/N:** Withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal…

:Sigh:

I'm a frickin' mess…

The only consolation is that… I'm going on vacation tomorrow!

I'm going to be away for about six days, meaning that the next update will be in about a week or so.

Enjoy!

**EDIT: **The version previously uploaded here was not complete, because I wasn't certain whether it was violating ffnet's NC-17 rule or not. A lot of people have e-mailed or PMed me for this, and since I've come to get to know the site's policies a little better, I've decided the full version should easily make it past the censors, so to speak.

_**Last chapter summary:**__ A rescue mission gone awry… Quistis is safe, but Ellone has been kidnapped by Galbadians. Meanwhile, Squall deals with the pain of letting yet another beloved person go… _

* * *

_** A second chance**_

By: Sickness in Salvation

** Chapter 35: Sway among the fireflies**

* * *

Squall Leonhart had never felt more alone in his life.

Slouched into one of the numerous seats within a chamber inside Ragnarok, he was rubbing his sore temples, only to realize that this kind of numb pain wouldn't go away that easily.

Sighing, he wondered if he'd just made the biggest mistake of his young life.

His boring, sickeningly organized, gray, dull, **disgusting** life… Until the sudden change it was subjected to, one fateful night only a few months ago.

If love was a color, then for him in was white. If love was a piece of clothing, then for him it was a short dress. If love was a sound, then for him it was a fit of angelic laughter.

And love had presented itself to him, under the starry veil of the night sky, a chilly breeze blowing against his face, outside in secluded balcony.

It had mended his repeatedly broken heart, brought smile upon his face, brought color into his colorblind life and had filled his dried up body with the juices of emotion.

But he had been too stubborn to accept it. And now he would have to pay for it.

Dearly.

He buried his face into his palm _**'I'm such an idiot…'**_ he thought _**'But what could I have possible done? It's **_**her**_** life, **_**her**_** decision…'**_

_** 'Ahh… But you drove her away from you and towards that choice with your cold behavior, didn't you? If you had accepted her from the beginning, then she might have chosen to stay…' **_spoke a nagging voice in the back of his head. The voice of his inner conscience, tormenting his already troubled beyond relief mind.

The sound of the doors behind him sliding open made him jump up startled.

"_Hellooooo? Anyone here?"_

Squall sighed deeply. He didn't want to see **anyone** right now, much less Seifer Almasy…

Half-heartedly, he got up from his seat and saw Seifer with Quistis standing before him. He arched an eyebrow.

"_What's that you're wearing?" _Squall asked Seifer. The latter rolled his eyes.

"_Of all the stupid questions…" _he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"_Squall, you're OK!" _Quistis exclaimed.

"_I don't see why __**you**__ must feel so excited…"_ Seifer said, narrowing his eyes at her _"And it's an Estharian Air Force Unit uniform, by the way."_

Squall was staring at both of them, bewildered.

"_I'm guessing I missed a couple of chapters?" _he asked, almost wearily.

"_Well… A lot of things happened."_ Quistis said, grinning awkwardly _"I was unconscious for a while after the escape pod touched down. When I came to, Ellone told me that Estharian forces were on their way to pick us up. Unfortunately…"_

"_Galbadia got there first."_ Seifer finished for her _"I was in the Palace with Laguna-"_

"_Who?"_ Squall asked, eyes widening.

"_Yes, THE Laguna."_ Seifer said, grinning _"He's the President of Esthar, you know…"_ Squall's eyes had yet to return to normal size _"Anyway…" _Seifer went on _"I was in the Palace. Laguna had asked to meet with me, when he got a call about the pod that crashed. And they also told him about you rushing out to space to save Rinoa. Quite the show-off act if you ask __**me**__…"_

"_I __**didn't**__…" _Squall said through clenched teeth.

"…_but still, it got Rinoa back and safe, so I'm not complaining…" _Seifer added. Squall looked away _"Then, we gathered some forces and went looking for the pod, but when we arrived the Galbadians were already there. Some sick fuck,"_ Seifer's eyes glinted with malice _"Betrayed Esthar and told them about Ellone's whereabouts. That's why they got there first. There was a battle, but they managed to escape with Ellone." _Squall sighed _**'That's just great… Even **_**more**_** bad news…'**_

"_And then we all came back to get you and Rinoa." _Quistis finished up.

"_Where is she, by the way?" _Seifer asked, looking around.

"_Yeah,_ _where's the princess that changed the ever-cautious Squall?"_ Quistis teased, grinning.

Squall opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when the door slid open again. Zell entered first, soon followed by Irvine and Selphie.

"_Squall!" _Zell exclaimed, dashing forward to him _"S'up, my man?" _he asked, playfully slapping him on the back.

Unfortunately, Zell's strength was **not** something to joke about, meaning that his 'playful' gestures often resulted into casualties. Squall staggered forward.

"_I'm good…" _he mumbled.

"_So glad you're safe!"_ Selphie squealed. Irvine simply tipped his hat at him and winked.

"_Hey, man…" _Zell began, rubbing the back of his head_ "I hate to tell you this now, but we've got major problems down here. Well, here it goes! Some big thing called Lunatic Pandora came out of nowhere. Matron couldn't achieve what she set out to do because of it. Which is ok. Matron's not a sorceress anymore. Matron gave away her power to someone without realizing it."_ he said, grinning.

Squall's expression darkened _**'Yes… To Rinoa…' **_he thought.

"_And, ah…"_ Zell went _on "Oh yeah, the Galbadian military is controlling Lunatic Pandora. They excavated it from the ocean where Esthar sank it years ago. Inside the Lunatic Pandora, there's this thing called a 'Crystal Pillar'. It calls monsters from the moon. The monsters came falling from the moon. Total panic down here."_ Squall's forehead began to ache _"It wasn't just monsters that came falling down. Sorceress Adel came down along with the machine that confined her. I guess the stream of falling monsters engulfed the machine. Lunatic Pandora caught Adel from that stream! Dr. Odine thinks that may have been Galbadia's true intent. Meaning-"_

"_Zell, that's enough for now."_ Squall interrupted the blond.

"_But Squall!"_ Zell protested.

"_Leave him be for a sec, will ya Wuss?" _Seifer piped in _"Let him get some rest first. We could __**all **__use some…"_

"_It's not that…" _Squall mumbled

"_Then what's wrong?"_ Quistis asked.

"_Rinoa is a sorceress now. She received Matron's powers."_ Squall replied. His words were greeted by a round of gasps_ "An escort from Esthar came to pick Rinoa up. Rinoa's in Esthar now."_

"_We have to go get her!"_ Selphie squealed and ran outside through the doors again, closely followed by Irvine.

"_They __**kidnapped**__ her?"_ Seifer hissed.

"_No."_ Squall replied, shaking his head in negation _"It was Rinoa's decision. She was scared about being a sorceress… Scared of being feared… hated… Scared that no one would want to be around her… She said she couldn't handle that."_

"_Didn't you try to stop her, Squall?"_ Quistis asked incredulously.

"_It was Rinoa's decision. What right do I have to object?"_ Squall said, shrugging.

"_Oh, stop that! What are you talking about?"_ Quistis burst out_ "Why did you go all the way out into space to save Rinoa? To hand her over to Esthar? So that you might never see her again? No, right? Wasn't it because you wanted to be with Rinoa?"_ she yelled.

Squall looked away, frowning. Why couldn't anyone understand that even though this was tearing him apart, he **had**to respect Rinoa's decision?

"_Squall…" _Quistis went on _"You're like a brother to me. And the only reason I'm being harsh to you is to make you understand. You are letting go of the __**one**__ good thing that ever happened to your life without putting up so much of a fight. Don't make this mistake. Don't be a fool."_

"_Seriously."_ Zell agreed.

"_Strike fool…"_ Seifer said, crossing his arms _"I was thinking of something more along the lines of __**fucking retard**__! How could you let her be harmed, you idiot_?" he yelled, advancing on him.

Squall lowered his head to the floor _**'An idiot, huh?' **_

"_Maybe I am…" _he mumbled.

_**'What am I doing…?'**_ he suddenly realized _**'I may never get to hear Rinoa's voice again…What the**_** hell**_** am I doing? What can I do? …Of course…'**_

"_**Well**__?"_ Quistis said, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.

"_Heading to Esthar, right?"_ Zell suggested hopefully.

"_Pandora… whatever and Sorceress Adel are out of my hands."_ Squall said _"I don't even know where to look for Sis. The only thing I know is Rinoa. The only thing I want to do for sure right now is for Rinoa. We're going to get Rinoa back!"_

"_**Now**__ he fucking wakes up!"_ Seifer said, exasperated.

Squall rushed towards the doors, only a second before the entire ship shook vigorously. With a shrill gasp, Quistis fell backwards and into Seifer's arms. They both hit the floor with a thud, just like Squall and Zell had done. Quistis turned to look at Seifer, who merely grinned ad held her tighter. Quistis's eyes fell upon the windows behind them.

"_Ahh… Excuse me…We're __**flying**__?"_ she uttered.

Everyone slowly got up to their feet and rushed to glance outside as well, only to realize Quistis was right.

"_I hope this ain't the case but,"_ Zell said _"I can picture Selphie in the pilot seat, and-"_

"…_Selphie screaming, 'Whoo-hoo, we're flying!'"_ Quistis added.

"_And cowboy standing right next to her…"_ Seifer grunted.

_**'Overly excited…' **_Squall mentally added.

- _"Let's go check it out…" _Seifer said, running towards the exit.

* * *

The double doors of the cockpit split open.

Seifer stepped inside, looking around him apprehensively. Right behind him, so was everyone else.

Their worst fears had just taken form before their very eyes…

"_Whoo-hoo! We're flying!"_ Selphie squealed.

"_Selphie's just amazing!"_ Irvine said proudly, beaming at her.

The auburn-haired girl was sitting in the pilot's seat, apparently controlling the ship, while Irvine was standing above her, admiring her.

"_You sure you can fly this?"_ Squall asked, almost afraid of her answer.

"_It just kinda took off!"_ Selphie replied, giggling _"I don't know. It's pretty easy. I think I'll be fine. But there's no guarantee it won't crash!"_

Seifer shared a look of utmost panic with Quistis. She knew he wasn't actually fond of flying in the first place, but with Selphie as the pilot… Hyne help his terrified soul…

"_Quistis…" _he whispered at her _"I want to be cremated and my ashes scattered across-"_

"_Oh, hush!" _Quistis said, rolling her eyes _"We'll be fine…"_

"_You __**know**__ I don't like-"_

"_Flying. Yes, I do." _Quistis replied _"Why don't we just go sit down?" _she suggested.

"_It's a fucking phobia, y'know… It's not like I'm a wuss or something…"_ he mumbled, while following Quistis towards the seats.

"_Never said you were…" _Quistis said, chuckling.

Squall approached the pilot's seat.

"_Selphie, head for Esthar."_ he said determinedly _"Rinoa's probably at the Sorceress Memorial. We're gonna go rescue her."_

"_Booyaka!"_

* * *

Cold…

She felt so cold…

Trapped within an eternal, frozen prison. That was her fate…

Forever…

_**'Squall…' **_Rinoa thought _**'I'll never see you again…'**_

_** 'Goodbye…'**_

"_Rinoa, hold on! I'll get you out in a sec!"_

Her eyes snapped open.

Had she just heard…? No… No, it couldn't be…

But it was!

Squall! He had come for her!

He was desperately banging against the thick, crystal-like wall of her prison.

Rinoa pressed her palms against the same wall, staring at him wide-eyed.

"_What am I supposed to do? Come on!"_ Squall yelled in exasperation.

She watched as he drew his glowing Lionheart blade out and brought it down to the wires before him with might. The wires split open and fumes began to emit.

Rinoa's prison began to melt away within seconds.

Squall was standing before it, patiently waiting as the fumes began to clear out.

And then he saw her.

Dashing towards him, face full of longing, arms wide open.

She fell into his arms and he held her so tightly, as if he was afraid she might slip away again. She lost herself within his strong arms, never wanting to let go.

But…

She **had** to…

"_Squall, don't!" _Rinoa said, pulling away _"I'm a sorceress."_

"_I don't care." _he told her firmly.

Rinoa gave him one of her heart-warming smiles, a tear trickling from the corner of her eye. Squall returned the genuine smile and Rinoa buried her face into his embrace once again.

"_Rinoa! Squall!"_ Quistis called.

Both of them wheeled around abruptly towards her. Squall turned and looked at Rinoa again.

"_Let's go."_ he said and she nodded.

They shared a tight hug once again and dashed away towards the entrance, holding hands.

They found Seifer, Irvine and Quistis outside, fending off the Estharian soldiers that had come to take them away. Seifer, who was pointing the ever-so-sharp tip of Hyperion against a soldier's neck, gave Rinoa a quick glance out of the corner of his eye.

"_Princess…" _he grinned _"Long time no see…"_

"_It's good to be back… I guess…" _Rinoa replied, frowning upon looking at the soldiers.

Squall gently pushed her behind him and prepared to take out his own gunblade, whena man wearing Esthar clothing approached them. Without saying a single word, he motioned to the soldiers to let them go. Surprisingly, they immediately stepped aside.

"_Thanks, Ward…" _Seifer said, winking at him _"Come on, go, go, go!" _he urged everyone.

"_Ward…?" _Squall wondered out loud.

"_I'll explain later, Pubes! Now skedaddle!" _the blond hissed at his co-Commander.

* * *

Rinoa stood at the very back of the Ragnarok cockpit, arms folded behind her waist, looking quite shy.

"_What's wrong, Rinoa?"_ Quistis asked, not at all used at Rinoa being quiet and timid.

"_I'm just a little… embarrassed."_ Rinoa admitted, grinning awkwardly.

"_Ha!"_ scoffed Seifer _"That's a new one!"_ he said, earning a glare from Squall.

"_Why are you embarrassed?"_ Zell asked Rinoa.

"_I was so set on staying in Esthar."_ she replied _"But then, when you guys rescued me… It made me so happy, and…"_

"_No need to be embarrassed!"_ Irvine reassured her.

"_Yeah, happy is good!"_ Selphie called from the pilot's seat.

"_And don't act like you weren't expecting it, kiddo…"_ Seifer said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder _"D'you really think we'd leave you high an' dry?"_

Seifer's gesture was greeted by glares from both sides. One of them, naturally, came from Squall. The other, from Quistis…

Chuckling, Seifer uncoiled his arm from around Rinoa.

"_Sheesh, Pubes…" _he addressed Squall _"I wasn't gonna steal your Princess away, lover-boy…"_

Squall looked away, blushing, making Rinoa giggle. Seifer turned and looked at Quistis, who had crossed her arms and had pursed her lips. When no-one was looking, he sent her a kiss and a wink. Quistis groaned and rolled her eyes, looking away.

"_Thanks… __**everybody**__."_ Rinoa finally said.

"_Squall, you're awfully quiet. What's up?"_ Zell asked _**'I have a lot on my mind…'**_ Squall thought.

"_As an expert Squall observer,"_ Quistis piped in _"He's thinking: what do we do now? Blah, blah, blah… If you think and worry too much, everything tends to turn out bad."_

"_Look who's giving __**him**__ heat about worrying too much!"_ Seifer quipped at Quistis, smirking.

Quistis clenched her teeth and glared at Seifer.

"_For __**once**__ in your life," _she hissed, indicating 'one' with her index finger _"Can't you just drop the sarcasm? Just __**once**__! That's __**aaall**__ I'm asking!" _

"_Fine, be that way." _Seifer said shrugging _"But that __**won't**__ get you on my good side tonight, y'know…" _he said, arching both eyebrows playfully.

Blushing from head to toe, Quistis took a deep breath, turning away from Seifer.

"_As I was saying…" _she resumed, ignoring the muffled sniggers coming from pretty much every direction _"Squall. Why don't we just picture a brighter future?"_ she addressed her former student.

"…_Whatever."_ Squall said, shrugging.

"_But seriously, what do we do from here?"_ Zell asked _"I'm not really sure, but… Don't we have to do something about 'Lunatic Pandora' in Esthar? After all, the Galbadians are controlling it."_

"_It's all under Ultimecia's command…"_ Squall mumbled.

"_Yeah, and that Ultimecia!"_ Zell exclaimed _"We can't let that sorceress from the future mess up our world! Let's go kick her ass! We're SeeDs! We're here to destroy the sorceress, right?"_ he yelled. At the sound of those words, Rinoa's face fell.

"_ZELL!"_ Squall yelled at the top of his lungs.

"_Nice going, Chicken-Wuss…"_ Seifer sneered, narrowing his eyes at the other blond.

"…_S-Sorry…"_ poor Zell mumbled, looking down to the floor, embarrassed.

"_So… where we goin' then?"_ Irvine asked.

"_Listen…" _Seifer said, finally deciding to switch to 'serious mode' _"It's beginning to get dark outside. We're all strained… I know the matter of Lunatic Pandora and Ultimecia are more than urgent, but they can wait for just one night. We should get some rest first and make our plan first thing tomorrow morning."_

"_I second that…" _Selphie said, letting out a huge yawn _"Otherwise I might fall asleep on the controls…" _Seifer's eyes widened.

"_Anyone else agreeing to that?" _he asked, the tone of his voice that of utmost urgency…

"_I'm in." _Zell said.

"_Yup." _Irvine agreed.

"_Me too." _said Quistis.

"_Me three…" _Rinoa piped in, grinning.

All eyes fell upon Squall. He looked at everyone, then shrugged.

"_Yeah, whatever…" _he said _"But are there any rooms inside the Ragnarok?"_

"_Oh, nonononono…" _Seifer said, shaking his head in negation vigorously _"We're __**NOT**__ sleeping on the frickin' moving widow-maker!"_

"_HEY!" _Selphie protested.

"_And where do you suggest we sleep then…?" _Squall said, crossing his arms _**'Daddy's place…' **_Seifer thought, but never voiced it.

"_Patience, Pubes…" _Seifer said, smirking.

Taking out his cell-phone from his pocket, the tall blond fell into thought for a couple of seconds, then dialed a certain number. He brought the phone to his ear and waited for someone to pick up.

"_Hey, Laguna… This is Seifer…"_

* * *

The seven teenagers walked down one of the long hallways of the Esthar Presidential Palace, steadily approaching three figures standing in the very back. All of them were walking casually down the corridor, except for Rinoa who was visiting the glorious Palace for the very first time. Her eyes were wandering around, widened in awe.

Upon getting closer to the three men waiting for them, Squall's eyes snapped open.

"_Welcome!" _Laguna said warmly, spreading his arms wide. Kiros and Ward were standing by his sides.

"_It's Sir Laguna!" _Selphie squealed.

"_Laguna will do." _the President addressed Selphie, smiling, making her blush.

"_And…" _Laguna's eyes lingered on Squall.

A strange, distant expression crossed his face, as he gave Squall a rare smile. The young Commander narrowed his eyes at him, puzzled.

"…_you must be Commander Squall Leonhart." _Laguna finally added. Squall saluted him.

"_Pleased to meet you, sir."_ Squall said, although it seemed as if he only half-meant it.

"_Well… I already know Seifer and Quistis, briefly, but I didn't get a chance to get acquainted properly with the rest of you…" _Laguna went on, still smiling as broadly as ever.

"_I'm Selphie Tilmitt!" _Selphie piped in enthusiastically.

"_Irvine Kinneas."_ the cowboy said, tipping his hat as usual.

"_The name's Zell Dincht!" _Zell said vigorously, saluting Laguna as well.

"_I'm-" _Rinoa began, but was cut off.

"_Rinoa?" _Laguna asked, smiling at her.

"_Yes…" _the brunette said, returning he smile _"Rinoa Heartilly." _

"_I see you took the name of your mother…" _Laguna said _**'There goes that goofy expression again…' **_Seifer thought.

"_You knew my mom?"_ Rinoa asked, instantly looking a bit glum.

"_Erm…" _Laguna stuttered _"Wh-who __**didn't**__?"_ he asked, grinning.

"_I see…" _Rinoa replied, nodding.

Right then, Ward made an exasperated gesture with his arms.

"_Ward just said:" _Kiros piped in _"Don't you think we should be showing our guests to their rooms? They must be exhausted by now."_

"_Tell me about it!" _Selphie agreed, yawning widely yet again.

"_Of course…" _Laguna said, rubbing the back of his head.

Squall's eyes spotted a small group of familiar-looking girls dashing towards them _**'Ah, but of course…' **_he thought _**'The radar-wielding maids…'**_

"_You wouldn't happen to have a free room with a view to the city, would you?" _Seifer asked Kiros. He distinctly remembered the room he'd stayed only a few hours ago and remembered the breezy balcony accompanying it, with a view straight down to the city of Esthar.

"_As a matter of act, there __**is**__ just one-"_ Kiros began.

"_That's mine, alright!" _Seifer cut him off, smirking.

* * *

_ Later that night…_

Quistis walked down the corridors of the Esthar Presidential Palace. Her coral pajama bottoms -which were adorned by a swarm of white teddy bears- had slipped a bit too low down her waist and now clung from her hipbones graciously. Her white, strapped tank top left her arms uncovered to the chilly night atmosphere and her bare feet made a subtle noise while contacting the cold floor tiles, making her shudder a bit and rub her arms in warmth. Her strawberry blonde locks of hair were now loose and slightly messy, gently stroking her uncovered shoulders. She was trying to remember the right way to one of the numerous kitchens of the Palace. The place was too damn huge… If she hadn't been dying for a drink of water right now, she wouldn't have bothered to leave her warm, lavish room to go wandering around. She suddenly stopped on her tracks and looked around arching an eyebrow. Hadn't she passed through that corridor about two minutes ago? _**'Dammit…' **_she thought and, shaking her head in disbelief, continued to let herself get lost within the complex hallways of the Palace _**'I'll probably never be able return to my room at all tonight…' **_she thought _**'Oh well… Wasn't feeling sleepy anyway…' **_

She had barely completed that thought when she came face to face with a pair of double doors which seemed all too familiar _**'Finally!' **_she said to herself and walked over to the doorway to one of the kitchen rooms. Quistis pushed the doors open and stepped inside, looking a bit surprised. Right in front of the ajar door of the enormous fridge stood Seifer, obviously looking around for something. Upon hearing the doors opening, he turned around –slightly startled, Quistis noticed- to see who had walked inside.

"_Quistis…" _he said, looking at her in a really weird way.

Quistis arched an eyebrow and looked down at her body, as if searching for some sort of huge mark upon her.

"_What? What are you looking at?" _she asked.

"_Heh… Nice PJ bottoms…" _said Seifer grinning.

"_I don't wear something as fancy as my uniform in my sleep, you know…" _she said sarcastically and walked over to the fridge as well.

"_And you're obviously not sleeping…" _said Seifer, watching Quistis roam around the fridge.

"_I was really thirsty…" _said Quistis, grabbing a bottle of cold water from the fridge.

She walked over to one of the counters and opened the cupboard above, looking around inside. She closed it again and opened another one.

"_Would you happen to know where the glasses are?" _she asked, still searching for one.

"_Nope."_ replied Seifer, drinking some orange juice from the bottle he was now holding.

"_Ungh, that's __**disgusting**__ Seifer!" _said Quistis repulsed, turning to look at him _"Other people are actually going to drink from that bottle. Can't you drink from a glass like a normal person?"_

"_No." _he replied shrugging _"Want some?" _he asked, offering the bottle to her.

"_No thanks…" _said Quistis, pouring water into the glass he had just found in another cupboard.

Seifer studied her from the back as she quenched her thirst drinking one glass of water after the other. He tilted his head to the side and grinned. When she turned around to return the bottle to the fridge, he snapped back to reality and moved aside for her to pass.

"_Not to pry or anything," _said Seifer crossing his arms in front of his chest _"But why couldn't you just drink from the bathroom tap or something, instead of walking __**all**__ the way over here?"_ he asked.

Quistis rested the bottle back in place and froze in position. She suddenly felt incredibly stupid for not even thinking about that… But she'd die before she let Seifer rip on her for it.

"_Because I'm not the pig you are," _she said jokingly, regaining her cool _"__**I**__ drink water from the place I'm __**supposed**__ to and definitely not from the bottle like some people I know do…" _she added, turning around to face him, grabbing the orange juice bottle from his hand _"I bet you don't mind drinking from the toilet either…" _she finished, putting the bottle back in place and closing the fridge shut.

She walked back to the counter, smirking, placing the used glass into the sink. Seifer slapped a palm on his chest and widened his emerald eyes in mock-shock.

"_Oh dear Hyne! Did my former Instructor actually retort a sarcastic comment at me?" _he asked, grinning.

Quistis chuckled and watched him slip his hands into the pockets of his black sweatpants, smiling at her smugly.

"_Laugh it up, but I know the __**real**__ reason you're here…" _he said arching his eyebrows.

"_Although I know I'll regret asking this… Would you mind enlightening me on that?" _she asked grinning.

"_Oh I dunno…" _he began, shrugging, running a hand through his hair –a move he gratuitously pulled when any females were within the vicinity- _"You suddenly feel thirsty in the middle of the night and instead of doing the sensible thing and drink from the bathroom, you stroll all the way to the kitchens. __**Then**__, you just __**happen**__ to barge into the one __**I'm**__ in and not one of the like… millions of others there are in this place…" _he added, winking at her.

"_Hang on, I think I'm gonna be sick…" _she said, holding her stomach.

"_Aw, c'mon, Instructor… Drop the act and just admit it: You're smitten by my stunning features…" _Seifer said, mockingly swelling up his chest in pride.

Quistis couldn't help but laugh at that. Seifer grinned as well and rested his palms on the counter behind him.

"_So… Can't sleep?" _he asked. Quistis sighed.

"_No… Been trying forever." _she replied _"You?"_

"_I'm not really sleepy. I came in here to grab a bite or something… But I'm not hungry anymore…"_ he said, shrugging.

"_Right…" _Quistis said, nodding, looking down at her feet.

They were bound to drop the nonchalant façade any moment now and talk about what had happened down at the Esthar desert that evening. Quistis just didn't know how to strike up such a conversation… Taking a deep breath, she looked back up, only to find Seifer staring at her, biting his bottom lip. Quistis raised an eyebrow at that, looking at him questioningly. Before she even had time to ask what he was thinking though, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the door.

"_Come on. I wanna show you something…" _he said, pushing the door open.

"_Seifer, what are you-?"_ began Quistis, trying hard to keep up with his pace down the hallway.

"_You'll see…" _he said grinning, and continued to drag her.

* * *

Seifer opened the door to his room and walked inside, closely followed by Quistis. He walked over to the big window doors and turned around.

"_Remember when I asked for the room with a view to the city?" _he asked grinning.

"_Vividly." _replied Quistis, arching an eyebrow _"Why?" _she asked.

Seifer didn't reply, just flung the doors open, brushing the curtains away. He motioned to Quistis to look outside. The blonde arched an eyebrow and walked over to the doorway to what appeared to be a balcony. She stepped outside and as soon as she did, her eyes widened and her lips parted in awe.

Before her very eyes, lay the striking sight of the city of Esthar at night. All the emerald brightness that graced the buildings during daytime, was now almost extinguished, as only the streetlamps provided light. At night, the glorious, high-tech city lost all its scientific appeal and turned into a marvelous, dreamy sight of what resembled a fairy land. The dim lights of the streets fell upon the glass-like constructions, adorning the atmosphere with an emerald green fluorescence.

It was…

"_Magical…" _Quistis uttered.

The blonde Instructor stood mesmerized, never removing her gaze from the sight. She rested her palms onto the railing of the balcony and bent over to get an even more panoramic view of the city.

"_Oh, wow…" _she said fascinated.

Seifer smiled at the sight and moved over to the railing next to her.

"_And that's not all…" _he said, grinning. Quistis turned and looked at him, eyebrows arched _"Look over there…" _Seifer told her, pointing to her back.

Quistis turned around eagerly, towards what Seifer was showing her. Upon the walls by the sides of the entrance to the room, deep green branches of ivy climbed and slithered, snake-like. The plant cascaded all the way around the back wall of the Palace, engulfing it graciously in its leafy embrace. But that was not what Seifer had meant to show her.

Quistis's palms immediately moved to her mouth, once she noticed the small, buzzing creatures hovering next to the ivy.

"_Fireflies!" _she exclaimed in glee.

"_Ever since you reminded me in Trabia of that time we went looking for them, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And when I noticed them tonight," _Seifer said smiling _"I knew you'd like to see them." _

"_I don't think I've seen any since…" _Quistis walked close to them _"Since the orphanage years…"_

The blonde girl moved tentatively towards the ivy, and extended her index finger towards the gleaming bugs. One of them, buzzed away frightened at first, but then soared around her hand a bit, before landing onto her outstretched finger. Quistis smiled broadly and turned around to Seifer. The tall blond smiled and cocked his head to the side.

For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of… lilies.

...

"_Me first, me first!" Selphie squealed, running over to Edea._

_The raven-haired woman smiled, as Selphie tilted her little head down, and placed a small crown of lilies on her hair. _

"_All set." Edea said, smiling._

"_Lemme see! Lemme see!" Selphie said eagerly, grabbing the mirror from Ellone's hands, who was grinning broadly._

"_I'm next!" Quistis said, hopping in front of her Matron._

_Edea placed a crown of lilies of Quistis's loose hair as well. The little blonde rolled her eyes upwards, trying to see what she looked like. Selphie giggled and gave her the mirror. A broad smile appeared on Quistis's face and she gave Matron and Ellone a kiss, running outside._

_A loud shriek caught everyone's attention right then, as Irvine came giggling inside the living room, where Ellone, Edea and Selphie were. _

"_Irvine, who's screaming?" Edea asked worriedly._

"_And what happened to your hair, Irvy?" Selphie asked, walking over to him, touching his head which was now 'styled' into a buzz-cut._

"_Mr. Cid is giving us all haircuts." Irvine addressed Selphie "And Seifer isn't liking it…" he added, sniggering once again._

_Right on cue, a fear-stricken Seifer sprinted out of the bathroom. Towel wrapped around the neckline of his T-Shirt, haphazardly hanging to the side, hair only half-cut. The greatest part of his head was still adorned by three-inched blond locks of hair, however, big chunks were missing in certain spots, where his head was almost shaved. Seconds behind Seifer, ran Cid, holding a shaving machine in his hands. Behind him, an already shaved and somewhat toothless Zell stood, pointing at Seifer, laughing._

"_Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Neener, neener, neener!" _

_Cid looked around the living room, when Seifer disappeared from sight and ran outside. Cid stopped for a second and ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Ellone, Selphie, Irvine and Zell burst out laughing. Squall, who finally emerged from the bathroom, seemed almost in tears for the loss of his silky chestnut hair, only he seemed to be taking it a bit more maturely than Seifer. He walked over to Ellone, arms crossed, lips pursed. Ellone took him into her arms and kissed his almost bald little head. Edea rested a palm on her chest, momentarily feeling sorry about poor little Seifer and looked at Cid._

"_Edea, don't start!" Cid warned her "Where did he go?" he asked. The Matron sighed._

"_Outside." she replied half-heartedly._

_Seifer ran as fast as he could down the stairs, tripping and tumbling down on the way. He winced, rubbing his sore head and back in comfort._

"_SEIFER!"_

_Cid. _

_Seifer immediately got up and resumed running, before __**he**__ came out and spotted him. The little blond run as fast as he could, trying to think of a good place to hide, when…_

_He stopped on his tracks. His thin lips parted. His loose-laced shoes rubbed the ground as he walked forward, mesmerized._

_He leaned on his side against a white pillar, staring at the sight before him, sighing. _

_Little Quisty, within the middle of the flower field, lilies worn in a crown on her long, loose, beautiful blonde hair, barefoot, a pale blue dress hugging her thin form, as she twirled around, sparkling azure eyes gazing at the starlight sky, fireflies swaying around her._

_Just like a fairy._

_The most beautiful fairy that he could ever imagine would exist. Even more beautiful than those Matron showed them in books of bedtime stories. _

_Sighing deeper, he titled his head to the side, gazing at her with longing._

_Quistis suddenly stopped twirling, having noticed him. She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. Seifer stood up startled and looked down at his feet, arms folded behind his back._

"_Why were you looking at me like that?" Quistis asked. Seifer shrugged._

"_Because." he replied, faking nonchalance._

"'_Because' is not an answer!" Quistis protested, resting her fists on the sides of her hips._

"_I dunno… I just…" Seifer mumbled, blushing. He ran his shoe on the surface of the ground, still looking down at his feet "You…" he hesitated "You looked like a real fairy…"_

_Quistis seemed taken aback by his answer and blushed. She looked up at him, smiling awkwardly. Seifer returned the smile. She was about to ask him what had happened to his hair, when…_

"_Gotcha!"_

_Cid wrapped his strong arms around Seifer's little form, picking him up. Seifer kicked and squirmed and hissed and shrieked like a cat thrown in water._

"_**NOOOO**__! I DUN WAN' A HAIRCUT!" he yelled, while Cid laughed and carried him –with difficulty- back inside._

"_Cid, you're hurting him! Not so tight!" Matron called, walking outside to the threshold._

"_**Matron**__! Help meeeee!" Seifer pleaded, as Cid walked past Edea._

_He outstretched his hands, desperately trying to reach his Matron. _

"_Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Seifer is a scaredy-cat!" Zell taunted, appearing on the doorsteps as Cid carried a wailing Seifer through the doorway._

_Quistis ran back towards the house, hearing Seifer's pleading screams, holding her shoes in one hand. _

"_Cid, be gentle with him!" Edea called._

"_Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Seifer is a scaredy-cat!"_

"_**Waaaaahhhh**__!"_

_The Matron felt her heart break as she heard little Seifer's screams. Sighing, she turned her head to her side, spotting Quistis. _

"_Come back inside, Quisty. You shouldn't be out here all by yourself, it's dangerous." she said._

"_Comin' Matron!" Quistis said, running back inside the house, sprinting up the few stairs to the doorway._

_...  
_

"_Seifer?" _Quistis spoke, looking at him, puzzled.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him out of his trance. Seifer jolted up, startled.

"_Sorry… Just… zoned out a bit."_

"_O - K…" _Quistis said, looking at him suspiciously.

She looked back down to the city, sighing, tilting her head to the side, then looking up to the sky.

"_It's amazing…" _said Quistis, still gaping at the view, voice almost a whisper.

"_Yeah…" _agreed Seifer _"I could just sit here staring at it all night…"_

Quistis turned around and looked at him in disbelief, as he stepped over to the railing, next to her.

"_You never stroke me as the romantic type, Seifer…" _she said grinning.

"_Romance has nothing to do with it…" _Seifer said quickly, as if trying to redeem himself for something wrong he'd done _"It just calms me down…"_

"_From what? What's bothering you?" _asked Quistis in genuine concern. Seifer paused.

"_I was just thinking,"_ Seifer began _"I've got so many responsibilities now… When I was a plain mercenary, I just had my missions to care about… And now… I have to be one of the two people who decide about the welfare of the entire student and SeeD population of Garden…At first I didn't take it too seriously, but now that we know what we're up against… knowing that the whole world is at stake…"_ he said. Quistis looked at him _"I know that almost no-one considers me a responsible person, but I've got a lot on my mind… even if I don't show it… I guess I'm like Squall in some ways…" _He ceased talking for a few seconds, before frowning mildly_ "Don't you __**dare**__ let slip to anyone I told you that…" _he threatened. Quistis chuckled. _"I don't even know why I'm saying all this to you…"_ he added.

"_Maybe because I'm willing to listen." _replied Quistis. Seifer turned and looked at her.

"_Yeah… Maybe…" _he replied _"Quistis…?"_

"_Yes?" _

"_What do you think of me? Honestly?" _he asked.

"_What do you mean?" _

"_I mean… What do you think of me as a person? Do you like me? Do you just tolerate me? Do you despise me?" _he asked.

"_Well, what do you think?"_ Quistis asked rhetorically.

"_I dunno… Somewhere in between the last two I guess…"_ he replied grinning.

"_Try somewhere in between the first two…"_ she said, smiling at him. Seifer looked at her and smiled as well _"I mean… You're always arrogant and cocky, you're selfish ninety percent of the time, you annoy the __**hell**__ out of people… But you've got a good heart. And even though you think you've got confidence in yourself, you don't. You don't give yourself as much credit as you should."_ she replied. Seifer smiled _"What about you? What do you think of __**me**__?"_ she asked.

"_Well…"_ he began _"You're always way too serious… And tight-assed." _Quistis frowned a bit _"I __**really**__ think you should loosen up more. And you're always complaining about stuff… But you're smart and you're really down-to-earth… And you're nice. You care about people a lot. Hell, you even care about scumbags like me…"_ he said.

"_You're not a scumbag…"_ said Quistis.

"_Yes I am."_ insisted Seifer.

"_Alright, you are."_ she agreed jokingly.

Both of them paused for a bit, then laughed.

"_So… Why aren't __**you**__ sleeping?"_ asked Seifer.

"_I've got a lot on my mind…"_ replied Quistis.

"_Such as?"_ he asked.

"_I guess,"_ she began _"I was just thinking about what Squall did for Rinoa…"_

"_Oh."_ Seifer said nonchalantly _"He really likes her, doesn't he?"_ he asked.

"_Yeah, I guess. It seems almost funny, but I think he's really in love with her…"_ said Quistis.

"_Rinoa can be a bit…'clingy', but she's nice…"_ admitted Seifer.

"_Do you still have feelings for her?"_ asked Quistis, scowling in disappointment.

"_Nah… I don't even know if I ever did…"_ said Seifer _"I mean, sure, I liked her… She's pretty, she's kind… But something just didn't… fit."_

"_I see…"_ said Quistis.

"_So… you were saying?"_ asked Seifer.

"_Well, when I saw Squall risk his life for her, I kinda… envied her a bit."_ she said.

"_Why?"_ asked Seifer, cocking an eyebrow.

"_Because I wondered if anyone would ever do the same for me."_ she said. Seifer frowned _"But then,"_ she added _"I realized someone already had…"_ she said, looking at him.

"_Who?"_ he croaked out. For some reason, his throat had gone abnormally dry. Quistis paused for a few seconds.

"_You."_ she replied eventually, turning her gaze back to the sky.

Silence engulfed them for many a minute.

"_I guess I did."_ said Seifer eventually.

Once again, silence…

"_Excuse me for a sec…" _Seifer said, reentering the main room.

Quistis rested her hands on the railing, sighing… She wondered whether the issue of what had happened that afternoon would **ever** come up… They'd come close to talking about it only a couple of minutes ago, but Seifer had conveniently excused himself. She really couldn't understand him. He was always one to speak his mind about pretty much everything, not hesitating at the slightest bit and now he'd just… 'run away'. And it aggravated her. Wasn't he interested in her at the very least? His past actions had shown that he was more than plain 'interested', but just when she was about to talk about it openly he left? It aggravated her **very much**. And it was time she took matters into her own hands.

Pursing her lips, she entered the room as well.

Seifer was nowhere to be seen, but the bathroom door was left ajar and the lights were on. She was more than certain she'd find him inside, trying to buy time to ease out of the conversation _**'Not this time…' **_Quistis thought. Pushing the door wide open, Quistis entered the bathroom.

"_Why did you just run away from-?" _

She stopped dead in her tracks. Seifer was standing right above the toilet, apparently **not** pondering about pretty much anything.

"_What?" _he asked her, completely un-phased.

Covering her eyes with one palm, Quistis made a one-eighty turn on the spot, blushing from head to toe.

"_Sorry… I… I thought y-y-you were…" _she stuttered, exiting the bathroom.

"_You thought I was what?"_ Seifer asked from inside. Quistis heard the sound of the toilet being flushed.

"_Close the door next time, won't you?" _she said exasperated, back still turned at him _"Have you no shame?"_

"_I don't usually expect company while I'm __**peeing**__, Trepe…" _Seifer sneered, walking past her and back towards the balcony.

Quistis glared at his back _**'So we're back to 'Trepe' now?' **_she thought.

"_I didn't __**know**__ you were __**peeing**__." _Quistis said through gritted teeth, still standing inside the main room.

"_Well what the hell did you think I was doing in the frickin' bathroom?" _Seifer quipped, turning around to face her from afar.

"_I dunno!" _Quistis snapped _"I thought you were trying to… to…"_

"_To __**what**__?" _Seifer asked wearily.

"_Forget about it…" _Quistis said, turning her gaze away from him and crossing her arms.

"_Didn't your mommy," _Seifer strode back inside _"Ever tell you," _He approached her _"That it's rude not to finish a sentence?"_ He asked, standing right in front of her.

"_Sorry. Never met my mommy." _Quistis skillfully avoided replying.

"_It's a figure of speech, Quistis. Now answer my question." _Seifer said, folding his arms in front of his chest _**'You wanna play, Seifer? Let's play then…' **_Quistis thought.

"_I thought you were trying to avoid continuing the conversation we were having just before." _she replied, trying her best at a smirk.

"_Oh noooo…"_ he replied, smirking wickedly _**'Dammit! How does he **_**do**_** that?'**_ _"I'm not __**you**__…"_ Quistis arched a fair eyebrow.

"_What is __**that**__ supposed to mean?" _she asked.

"_I'm not the one chickening out every time something happens between us, Quistis." _Seifer replied _"That's __**your**__ part. I don't need to refresh your memory, do I?"_

Quistis opened her mouth to speak back, but shut it immediately. There was nothing she could say, really; he was right.

She sighed.

Their gazes remained locked for what seemed like an eternity. No-one spoke. They just shared the darkness and all the pent up emotions hiding behind green and blue eyes.

There is said to be a universal law which states that whenever a couple stare at each other's eyes for too long, not speaking, there are two possibilities of what will ensue. They will either begin arguing, or end up making love.

Strange.

Strange and intriguing… how with some couples… **both** can happen.

"_You know what?" _Quistis said eventually _"Coming here tonight was a mistake. I'm going back to my room…" _she added, turning her heel.

"_You're not going anywhere," _Seifer said, grabbing her arm, turning her around _"Before you answer me __**this**__." _His eyes were cold and his frown deadly _"What more do you want from me?" _he asked _"What more do you want, huh? You open up to me at the SeeD Ball, I reciprocate and you think I'm trying to grope you."_ He advanced on her.

"_You __**were**__ trying to grope-"_ Quistis began to step back.

"_I __**kiss**__ you in Timber-"_

"_That was just a cover-up. I thought-"_

"_And you turn against me again."_

"_I didn't-"_

"_I risk my __**fucking**__ neck to save your from G-Garden-"_

"_I never asked you to-!"_

"_And you tell me you saved me from Edea because I was your __**student**__ and you cared about me."_

"_What did you expect me to-?"_

"_I __**kiss**__ you in Garden out in the balcony, __**again**__, and you run away saying you weren't sure about how you felt!"_

"_I really wasn't! I didn't want to give you false-"_

"_When I was in a coma after the fight with Edea, I hear you talking to me, __**crying**__-"_

"_You could hear me?"_

"_And when I wake up and want to see you, you get pissed about something so __**fucking trivial**__!"_

"_I was concerned about your health!"_

"_When things got more serious, and we needed to spilt up, you just kept running away from me-"_

"_It had __**nothing**__ to do with you! It was just the fact that I felt the need to-"_

"_For __**once**__, __**you**__ kiss __**me**__ in front of everybody and then act as if nothing ever happened!"_

"_You made me feel uncomfortable in front of everyone!"_

"_And now __**today**__, you're __**still**__ expecting things from me!"_

Quistis's back touched the wall behind her. Seifer's right palm slammed hard against the wall and he leaned down to her.

"_What the __**fuck**__ more do I need to do to show you that I __**FUCKING**__ WANT YOU?" _he yelled at her, furious.

"_NOTHING!" _Quistis snapped _"I __**know **__I've been stupid in the past-"_

"_No fucking shit!"_

"_WILL YOU JUST __**SHUT UP**__ AND LET ME TALK?" _she yelled back at him _"I __**KNOW**__ YOU WANT ME! AND I WANT YOU, TOO!"_

Seifer stared at her, breathing heavily. She lowered her head, taking a step closer to him.

"_I do…" _she almost whispered _"__**So**__ much… So much, it hurts… And I don't know if that scares you but-"_

She never finished her sentence, as Seifer cupped her face in his palms and brought his mouth crushing down to hers. Quistis breathed in sharply, eyes wide in surprise. His soft, hungry lips caressed hers in continuous, almost fluid movements, with such tenderness as if he was afraid of breaking her. He heard her let out a moan of longing and practically beg him to deepen the kiss. Shivers ran all over his body and, breathing deeply, he grabbed the back of her head with one palm, fingers burying into golden hair and held her waist with the other, shoving her against the wall.

Quistis gasped as their lips parted momentarily, her back making hard contact with the wall. Seifer's lips descended on hers once again, muffling her gasp. His hands raked through her hair, taking in their scent, as he parted his lips open. Quistis's arms wrapped around his neck, jaw line dropping. Their tongues met and fire raced into her veins and down her spine. She felt more alive than ever. She put up no fight when she found her feet stumbling across the room. She felt the warm lights die out as Seifer absent-mindedly pushed the switch down. Her ankles felt the resistance of the wooden bed behind her and next thing she knew, her back was resting against the soft mattress.

Seifer sensed her long, slender fingers run through his hair as they kissed passionately, heads tilting from side to side. His hands slid down to the sides of her ribcage, feeling her cold skin shiver and writhe under his touch, and Hyne… She let out the sweetest moan of pleasure as their lips remained united in wet heat. Within his consciousness, Seifer's two alter egos battled, each telling him to follow a different path. One, told him to be a gentleman and stop, before things got out of hand, and walk Quistis back to her room. The other, urged him to go on, savor her to the last bit.

Seifer Almasy was never one to listen to the 'little angel Seifer' preaching about benevolence down his ear, though.

He would listen to the 'little devil Seifer' once more…

But something inside him, held him back. Hyne, he didn't want to stop; he wanted all of her. He **needed** all of her. He yearned to hear his name escape her lips while he discovered all the beautiful curves her body bore. He sighed inwardly.

The least he could do was ask…

Stroking her cheek affectionately with a crooked finger, Seifer slowly withdrew.

"_Quistis?" _he said.

"_Mmm?" _Quistis hummed softly, parting her eyelids open, a blissful smile spread across her face.

"_Stay for the night …"_

His voice held an unspoken plea, his eyes hoped for her consent. And Quistis wasn't willing to refuse his fervent request. Not tonight…

In response, she reached up, her lips getting a hold of the sensitive spot on the crook of his neck, letting her hands wander on his body, gradually heading lower… And lower…

Seifer sucked in a breath and let out a shaky sigh. His mind blurred as Quistis looked at him with longing, allowing him to drown into her beautiful pools of sapphire blue. The only light within the room right now, was provided by the moonlight outside and the small swarm of fireflies zooming in and out from the ajar balcony door. But even in the semi-darkened state of the room, her eyes stood out startlingly. She left him with no choice… Leaning back in, he kissed her swollen lips, eyes only half-closed to look at her expression and engrave it into his memory.

Hands slithered over steadily heating bodies, exploring, gripping, almost tearing pieces clothing off their way, within their desire to feel skin against skin.

Quistis slid her palms underneath Seifer's grey T-shirt, stroking the defined muscles of his chest and stomach underneath. Her fingers tugged the hem of his T-shirt upwards. Seifer freed one arm and rid himself of his garment, tossing it haphazardly to the side. Quistis kissed the now exposed area of his upper chest, taking in the faint smell of his perfume. Feeling the need to familiarize with **her** smell, Seifer's fingers toyed with the straps of her white top, pulling it down just enough to crush his lips against her collarbone. The combination of vanilla and natural scent made him want to devour her alive.

And he intended to.

Her top soon joined his discarded T-Shirt onto the floor. Seifer pressed his head against her bare skin, dragging his nose and lips against the curve between the soft mounds on her chest. She sighed. A heavenly sigh that echoed inside the walls of his mind and caused warmth to pool within his groin.

She could bring him to his knees and command him like a puppet with another sigh like that. And he feared that if she realized how he felt, she would.

He didn't give a damn.

All he wanted right now, was **this**.

Letting out a feral growl, his lips encased hers into a kiss once again, palms greedily snaking to her chest, feeling, grasping. Her moves were no more delicate than his. Little, if none, experience didn't leave much room for grace. Even his own somewhat more skilled movements had drowned away within his lust to finally touch and feel her in such an intimate way.

Quistis's coral pajama bottoms were next to lay forgotten onto the floor, and Seifer grasped her bare thighs, crushing his pelvis against hers. He whispered her name in a serpentine hiss, as her lips traced the skin of his neck, kissing, sucking, biting. Freeing his hands, he removed the black sweatpants which had been begging to be taken off ages ago, kicking them away, grabbing her waist and kissing her collarbone.

Reaching up, he sealed her lips with yet another kiss. While their tongues engaged into a wild dance inside their mouths, he slid one hand low. **Very** low. Quistis's gasp choked within the kiss and her head fell back, chest arching up to him, when he reached under the waistband of her underwear. She slid her eyelids shut, eyes rolling back into their sockets while she relished the moment, wishing it would never end. Her fingernails grazed roughly against his bare back as she felt a wave of pleasure overtake her. His teeth bit into her lip from the hot pain, a hiss escaping his mouth.

Pain and pleasure, mixed within a desperate, passionate clash of emotions.

And she was about to experience both as well.

The last garment on her body was soon removed by Seifer's fingers, leaving her completely nude, uncovered. But not a hint of embarrassment reached her cheeks. She wanted this. She'd **craved** for this for too long. She couldn't think. She didn't **want** to think. She only wanted to feel.

To feel **this**.

Seifer's lips were on her neck, nibbling on soft, porcelain skin like there was no tomorrow. Her growing impatience drove her to reach down and peel the black boxers off his body, needing to feel him as exposed as she was. Needing to **see** him as exposed as she was.

The last piece of clothing hit the floor, onto the heap next to them and Seifer pulled back.

And there they were. Two completely naked bodies, ready to come together in passion and primal craving. Every single inch of bare skin on his body that was touching hers was stinging in heat, while the rest burned in equal desire. The little silvery-blue moonlight that had managed to make its way inside the room was cast upon her, reflecting upon the curves of a body that no artist, even the most graced one, could ever sculpt. So smooth… So beautiful…

And she was going to be **his**.

Right there, right then.

With one move, he grasped her thighs, aiding her to cross her legs behind his waist. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for a final hint of reassurance which he thankfully found, and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

Quistis closed her eyes and sighed. Her arms engulfed his chest, resting on his back, as she fretfully waited to feel him inside her. To feel **something** within her, apart from solitude for a change.

But nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

A surge of emotions rushed within her, foreign, strange, fiery. And painful.

It was almost too much to take.

Her back arched and her head fell back, a sharp, shrill gasp escaping her lips. Blue eyes filled with newly formed tears as the last barrier between them shattered. Seifer withdrew his head from the crook of her neck, concern reflected in his emerald gaze. He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her forehead, ceasing all other activities for the moment.

"_I'm sorry… I never meant to-"_ he began whispering to her.

"_Don't stop…" _came her shaky voice _"…Please."_

Torn between worry and lust, Seifer shut her lips with a kiss, eventually deciding to yield into her wish. Not to mention his **own**…

She was in pain. But the heated strokes within her were filling her with warmth and pleasure to the core, pushing every negative feeling away. She didn't care if she hurt. She couldn't let him stop now that her insides were on fire, begging for the feeling of him inside her. She wanted him to know at last how the look in his eyes melted her, how his every touch made her shiver, how his deep voice intoxicated her, how the feel of his body against hers drove her to sweet madness. And as her fingers raked through his short spikes of blond hair, stroking his cheek against hers, she begged him to show her with actions what they've been struggling to say with meager words for so long.

And he did.

He lost himself within her, as they moved together, slick bodies sliding onto one another eel-like, calling out each other's names like they'd never truly spoken them before. For the first time in his life, Seifer felt that he had everything he ever wanted right underneath him, right into him arms. And Quistis just kept worshipping his body like he did hers, in the most cherished and fervent way possible. She was like a drug to him, he realized; he needed her, he wouldn't be complete without her anymore.

His fairy. With long blonde hair sprawled onto her bare shoulders. With dreamy cerulean eyes, gazing at the fireflies hovering above and around them. Gazing at **him**.

And she'd come to him, Hyne. She'd come to him tonight, without any remorse for her actions, without any hesitation to give herself to him and let him make her his…

Within the heat that engulfed them both, Seifer placed his eyes upon her, the beautiful woman beneath him, who was whispering to him reverently, through trembling, full lips, bringing his arousal to plateaus he never thought possible.

And his heart as well.

Which was what surprised and thrilled him the most.

Their foreheads rested against each other as they shifted, and Quistis opened her eyes wide in astonishment when he came undone above her, with a faint sigh of her name.

He slid out slowly and fell heavy upon her, his breath sallow. Their chests pressed on one another and their hearts kept battling on which of the two was beating faster. They remained still for a while, both trying to comprehend what had just happened. It had been so abrupt, so desperate, that time had shrunk to nothing but a flash of longing and all that was left was the fresh memory of utmost intimacy between them.

Rolling over to the side, overcome with exhaustion, Seifer engulfed Quistis's trembling form in his arms, while she nuzzled her head in the crook of his sweaty neck.

She sighed in bliss. A content smile appeared on her face as she closed her eyes, kissing his damp chest. She never believed she'd be able to feel so complete, like she did right now.

Strange feeling this… wholeness. But oh-so-very-filling and beautiful…

Seifer felt his strength fading away and was only able to mutter one sentence before he fell asleep.

"_I thought I'd never watch you sway among fireflies again…" _

* * *

**A/N:** Till next time!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The aftermath…_


	37. Chapter 36: Aftermath

**A/N:** Hey dudes and dudettes! What's up?

Just got back from my vacation yesterday and **man** was it amazing! If anyone's interested, the full story is in my journal, just like the comments for reviews on the last two chapters. No text comments, because there's no plot development in this chapter. It's written purely for 'filler' reasons, till I get my act back for the following update. Which won't take longer than any other normal period between updates. So this is just something light, relaxing, o hopefully make your day a bit. Not my funniest piece to date, but definitely amusing.

Enjoy and stay tuned!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Fruit Loops_. However, _Shizuka Ross _is property of moi. Just the name though. It's the one I always give the Library Girl. I think the 'Shizuka' part is confirmed by Square, but the surname is 100% mine. DOWN, DOWN, DOWN!! MINE, MINE, **MINE**!!! **:**Daffy Duck style**:**

**_Last chapter summary:_**

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation****

**Chapter 36: Aftermath**

* * *

He watched her through half-open eyes, as her body arched up and back down again with each breath she took in.

He had just woken up and didn't want to spoil the beautiful sight before him for a fair few minutes **_'Let her sleep in a bit…'_**

He ran a finger across her exposed cheek, barely touching her, brushing a stray lock of golden hair away. The rest were sprawled upon their shared pillow, leaving her angelic face uncovered for him to marvel upon… Eyelids that covered big, round, sapphire eyes. Fair, long eyelashes. Porcelain skin. Rosy, full lips…

With one word… **beautiful**.

And she was **his**…

He grinned.

If she could hear his inner thoughts right now, she'd probably whip him to shape for daring to consider her his property **_'As long as she can't hear me…' _**He smiled **_'A man can have his secrets…'_**

When she slept, she completely let her guard down and became the innocent little girl he knew back from Centra. It seemed as if both of them became two completely different entities during their sleep, as if their hands were not tainted with blood, as if their eyes were purge and had seen nothing but benevolence, as if the thin scars that marred both their bodies from countless battles didn't exist.

Last night, when she lay underneath him, he saw no marks upon her body. He had chosen to ignore them. He hadn't slept with the SeeD, but with the **woman** that was Quistis Trepe. And he was certain she'd done the same.

Last night had been for Seifer and Quistis.

Not for a Commander and one of his SeeDs.

**_'Hmmm… I like the sound of this…' _**He smirked** _'She's slept with a superior…' _**He joked in his mind.

He sighed and rested his head on his balled fist, tracing his finger down her back so softly that he was certain she wouldn't even feel it.

He liked watching her sleep. And apparently, so did she…

_He slid his eyes open._

_The room was still very dark; the sun hadn't risen yet._

_The tip of her nail was gently grazing the muscles upon his chest, as he lay with his back against the headboard. He had one arm around her and she lay half on the bed, half upon his chest. _

_As she watched him wake up, she placed both palms upon his chest and gave him a kiss._

_His breath still held the taste of a cigarette, the one he'd had only a few minutes ago. Quistis had never been actually fond of said habit. The scent of it never suited her much. But right now, the aftertaste on Seifer's lips seemed like the sweetest taste in the whole wide world. She'd heard that many people who didn't smoke actually liked that certain 'flavor' and had always wondered if it were true. She was still, however, not certain if it appealed to her so much right now for any reason other than the fact that stars and little hearts were actually zooming before her very eyes for the past few minutes and everything seemed so fucking rosy… _

_Seifer smiled lazily and blinked._

_"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked._

_"I like to watch **you** sleep…" she replied, grinning._

_He smiled and wrapped his other arm around her as well, as she sighed and rested her head against his chest. Her breasts pressed upon his skin within the embrace. She hadn't bothered to put anything on yet. But neither had he…_

_"Do you always wear this?" she asked._

_The fingertips were now touching the metal clasp on the chain around his neck._

_"I never remembered where I'd gotten it," he began "But I recall always having it during my years in Garden. I figured it should be something special, so I never took it off. I recently remembered it was a gift from Edea. Right after I left the orphanage to join Garden."_

_Quistis kept toying with it around her fingers with interest. Seifer opened the safety slip from one side and revealed the inner part of his peculiar medallion._

_"It's a pretty different military ID tag, see?" he explained, pointing at the words engraved there._

_Quistis inched closer and squinted. 'Seifer Almasy'. She smiled and locked the clasp back in place._

_"You always loved her dearly, didn't you?" she asked him, referring to Edea._

_"Yes…" Seifer admitted "I never saw anyone else as a mother. I don't even bother trying to remember my biological one. She was never a real mother to me." He looked away._

_"You came oldest in the orphanage so you knew your real parents, right?" Quistis asked._

_"**Biological**. **Not** real." he said firmly "And yes."_

_"Sorry…" Quistis apologized, hugging him tighter "I didn't mean to upset you." Seifer chuckled._

_He gently pushed her back, looking into her eyes. ****_

_"No apologies needed." he said, his lips approaching her ear "I can't get mad with you anymore…" he whispered._

_He reached down to kiss her neck and gently lowered her down to the mattress._

_She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his already messed up hair, sighing._

_"I can't either…" she whispered, right before he reached up to kiss her._

_And right before she let his hands slither upon her body and allowed it to become one with his again…_

Seifer wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his lips down to her bare shoulder.

Quistis's even breaths mingled with a sleepy moan as she began to wake up. She yawned and grinned at the ticklish sensation spreading all over her left shoulder and neck. She felt the pressure upon her waist tighten slightly and a husky voice whispered to her ear…

- _"Morning…"_

She smiled broadly; now **that** was a perfect way to be woken up every day… She fluttered her eyelids open. Seifer was holding her waist tightly, tenderly kissing her shoulder line and neck.

- _"Morning." _she spoke back softly _"Why aren't you sleeping?"_ she asked.

- _"I like to watch **you** sleep…"_ he replied, grinning.

- _"Thief…" _she murmured with a soft giggle _"That's my line…"_

- _"Sue me…" _he joked _"So… Slept well?" _Seifer asked, running a hand through her loose hair.

- _"Like a baby…" _Quistis replied, grinning.

As she turned her head and reached up for Seifer, he gave her a peck on the lips, which she promptly deepened, slipping one palm against his nape. It felt so good to finally be able to do that whenever she pleased…

When they broke apart, Quistis smiled at him and turned her head back in place. Seifer tightened the embrace and moved his lips close to her ear.

- _"Wanna know something?" _he whispered softly to her.

- _"What?" _Quistis asked back, mentally preparing herself for a morning dose of 'sweet nothings'…

- _"You've got a **terrible** case of 'morning breath' going on…" _

__

Quistis's eyes snapped wide open. Behind her, Seifer was already chuckling at the sudden tenseness of her body. Pursing her lips, yet unable to conceal a grin,she abruptly rolled in bed and faced him, laying a hard punch onto his chest. Seifer laughed whole-heartedly now and wrapped his arms around her tightly, causing her to stop. Still grinning, he kissed her again.

- _"Yech…" _he said in mock-disgust when he pulled away.

- _"'Yech' right back at you." _Quistis retorted, pretending to frown _"You're not exactly Mr. Minty-fresh yourself, you know…"_

__

Laughing yet again, Seifer pulled her close from the waist and kissed her. Ignoring all obstacles of 'morning breath' for good, Quistis cupped Seifer's face in her palms and shared with him the deepest kiss they ever had. When their lips parted, Seifer turned his head the slightest bit and kissed Quistis's inner palm gently.

The girl sighed and nuzzled her face into the crook of Seifer's neck, placing her palms against his chest. Seifer wrapped his arms around her and covered up her bare shoulders with the blanket.

- _"What time is it, by the way?" _asked Quistis.

- _"Early." _replied Seifer.

- _"How early?" _she asked again.

- _"**Too** early. Go back to sleep." _he said.

He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek against her head.

Silence…

And surrender into deep, idyllic slumber once again…

* * *

- _"Y'know… I could actually feed on Fruit Loops for aaaaall eternity…" _Selphie said, shoveling down spoonful by spoonful the cereal in her bowl.

She was slouched on Irvine's lap, who sat onto a chair inside one of the numerous kitchens, her legs plopped onto the table. Irvine was munching on a piece of toast, hiding his sleepy eyes under the hem of his cowboy hat.

- _"I'd opt for hotdogs any day…" _Zell said, poking his fried egg with a fork.

Thick, amber yolk filled his plate, but Zell, completely un-phased, began scooping it up with some bread. He rolled his eyes upwards, mouth full, finding Irvine staring at him with an expression of utter disgust. Zell ran his tongue over his smeared lips.

- _"What?" _he asked innocently.

- _"You're just plain disgusting sometimes…" _the cowboy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

- _"Oh, I'm gettin' heat from the guy running around the Presidential Palace in a cowboy hat and pair of boxers that say 'Bite me' in the ass?" _Zell quipped, sipping some orange juice.

- _"What's disgusting about **that**?" _Irvine asked incredulously.

- _"I can make a list if you want…" _Zell replied, shrugging.

Selphie giggled at Irvine's half-angered, half-amused expression and gave him a kiss.

- _"Hey!" _Zell protested, pointing at them with his fork _"No PDA." _he said, making Selphie arch an eyebrow; he hadn't ever complained before… _"You're making my friend here jealous…" _he added, grinning, nudging Squall on the ribs.

The latter gave Zell a poisonous glare, ignoring Selphie and Irvine's laughter.

- _"Why so quiet, Squall?" _Selphie asked, smiling. Squall shrugged.

- _"Just bored…" _he replied, speaking for the first time that morning.

He rested his chin upon his folded arms onto the table, sighing. His gaze rested upon a bread knife for no reason at all, as he ignored the conversation Zell, Irvine and Selphie were having right now. He liked the way the light kept hitting upon it and getting reflecting, from different kind of angles…

His attention was soon, however, distracted by the doors that creaked open just then.

Rinoa walked inside the kitchen, hair caught up in a bun. Squall's head immediately emerged up from its previous location.

- _"Morning everyone…" _Rinoa said.

- _"Well look who's **finally** up early!" _Irvine commented.

- _"What are you talking about?" _Rinoa said, frowning _"I never sleep in…"_

- _"And what do you call ten o' clock, missy?" _Selphie added _"Early?"_

- _"Well, yeah!" _Rinoa replied _"It's late for **you** guys, cause you're used to getting up at __six thirty__ for years…"_

- _"True…" _Zell agreed.

- _"But hey… Ten to eight is a good record, right?" _Rinoa asked, grinning and stretching.

Squall watched in hidden fascination when the fabric of her top rode up as she stretched, revealing her belly-button. Nothing he hadn't seen before of course, but it still made him feel unnaturally hot all of a sudden… When he snapped back to reality, he found everyone staring at him. All except for Rinoa were grinning from ear to ear.

- _"Squall?" _Rinoa asked, waving a spread palm in front of his face _"You OK?"_

- _"Huh?!" _Squall jumped up startled _"Oh yeah… Just… thinking about… stuff…"_

- _"O - K…" _Rinoa replied, shrugging.

- _"I think he was just admiring your PJs, Rin…"_ Irvine said, smirking.

- _"Oh, they're Selphie's." _Rinoa replied, grinning at Squall _"I didn't have anything else to wear, so…"_

- _"Aren't they cuuuute?!" _Selphie exclaimed, springing up from Irvine's lap and standing next to Rinoa.

She wrapped her arm around the taller girl's shoulder and grinned broadly. Squall just then realized they were both wearing PJ bottoms with yellow chocobos and a strapped camisole with a chicobo on it. Only Selphie's were bright green, while Rinoa's were baby blue.

- _"We're like sisters!"_ Selphie exclaimed, next to a beaming Rinoa.

Squall swallowed with difficulty, as a mental picture suddenly entered his mind…

* * *

_Rinoa is running around Garden, clad in a teeny-tiny baby blue dress. _

_Her raven hair is cut in a cute bob, with the edges flipping in a completely gravity-defying manner._

_She bursts into Squall's office on the 3rd floor and squeals._

_"Squally-poo!__ Are you going to join the Garden Festival Committee? Pweeeeeeease?" _

* * *

Both his eyebrows remained arched, while Rinoa pulled out a chair right next to him and began pouring Fruit Loops into her bowl, humming. The essence of some kind of floral bath product reached Squall's nose, intoxicating his mind **_'Ohhh Hyne…'_**

**__**

- _"Never seen you hair up like that, Rin." _Zell commented.

- _"I took a shower and wore them up like that until I go back to my room and dry them off." _Rinoa replied, chewing on a mouthful of milk and cereal.

A pitiful expression crossed Squall's features **_'Rinoa… In the shower…'_**

**_'I need some water. NOW.'_** he thought, getting up abruptly.

He walked over to the sink and looked around for an empty glass. He began roaming around the cupboards in search for one, until he felt someone touching his shoulder. He turned around and saw Rinoa resting her chin on his shoulder and he jumped back startled.

- _"Can you get me a glass, too? I can't reach them…" _she asked him sweetly, grinning.

Looking away, Squall reached up for another one, handing it to her shakily. Rinoa filled it up with water and sat up onto the counter next to the sink, drinking the lot in one gulp. She watched Squall as he filled another glass and swallowed the content apprehensively.

- _"I always figured you'd be thin underneath that jacket of yours… I never knew you worked out so much…" _she said absent-mindedly, cocking her head to the side.

Her gaze fell upon his defined arms and chest, quite visible underneath one of the white T-shirts he always wore under his leather jacket. He wasn't wearing his fur-lined jacket this morning. At least not yet.

Squall chocked, water spilling out from his nose and began coughing like mad. Rinoa pat him hard on the back.

- _"Whoa, easy!"_ she said, grinning. Squall cleared his throat and banged hard on his chest with his fist.

- _"Thanks…" _he mumbled.

- _"Don't mention it." _Rinoa said, winking at him, and hopped off the counter.

Squall gripped the edge of the counter so hard, his knuckles turned white. He banged his head against the cupboards above **_'Damned hormones…'_**

Rinoa returned to the table to resume her breakfast, only to find Zell missing.

- _"Where's Zell?"_ she asked Selphie and Irvine.

- _"Went to get the mail." _Irvine replied.

- _"What mail?" _Rinoa asked, arching both eyebrows.

- _"I called Headmaster Cid last night," _Squall said, returning to the table as well _"And informed him of our whereabouts. They're stationed in Dollet for the time being, so he forwarded all our mail here just for today."_

- _"Ah, I see…" _Rinoa said, nodding _"But… who'd write to any of us?" _she asked, puzzled.

- _"Most of it is just junk." _Selphie replied_ "Newsletters and crap… But Zell might have something from his mom."_

__

Right on cue, Zell walked inside the kitchen, holding a small stack of letters. He had ripped one open and was reading it.

- _"Junk?" _Irvine asked.

- _"Yup…" _Zell said, nodding, eyes still locked upon the letter he was reading _"I just got one from my mom, Quistis has a bunch of Trepie letters… Seifer's got one from some 'Cedric' fellow… But the rest's newsletters and stuff."_

- _"See?" _Selphie told Rinoa knowingly.

- _"Lesee…" _Irvine said, skimming through the stack for anything that might interest him _"Squall, do you wanna read that Weapons Monthly thingy, man?"_

- _"No." _Squall said, shaking his head _"They won't have anything new for me in that for at least six more months…"_

- _"How come?" _Rinoa asked him.

- _"Said so in the last issue, where I saw Lionheart." _Squall replied _"They've yet to develop a stronger element than Adamantine, but are researching on it. You can read it if you want, though…"_

- _"Thanks." _Rinoa said, smiling.

She grabbed the letter Irvine had tossed to the side and began skimming through, just in case there was a new model out for her weapon.

Selphie was going through the rest of the letters in the stack while Irvine was scanning the contents of his own junk mail for anything interesting. She found one letter addressed to Zell that wasn't junk, however. Arching an eyebrow, she looked at the address.

- _"Hey, Zell…" _she said _"You missed another letter among the junk."_

- _"Oh yeah…" _Irvine said, leaning down to look at the envelope as well.

- _"Who's it from?" _Zell asked, puzzled; who would be writing to him besides his mom?

- _"It says: Shizuka Ross."_ said Selphie, frowning _"Who's that?"_ Zell's eyes widened.

- _"Umm… No-one!"_ he hurried to say _"Gimme the letter…"_

- _"Hey, isn't that the name of the girl who works in the library?" _Squall asked.

Selphie was in mid-movement to hand the letter to Zell. Both she and the blond froze in spot. Selphie's lips broke into a gigantic grin.

Zell made a leap for the letter, but Selphie was faster than him and pulled back.

- _"Oooh! Zelly has a looooove letter!!!" _she teased, beginning to rip the envelope open.

- _"Give that back!"_ Zell hissed, springing up form his chair.

Selphie tossed the letter over to Irvine, who rose up in full height, holding the envelope as high as possible. Zell tried to ump up and reach it in vain; the cowboy was much taller than him. Selphie climbed up on the counter behind Irvine and grabbed the envelope, pulling the letter out.

- _"Dammit, Selphie that's **personal**!" _Zell shouted at the top of his lungs _"Do **I** interfere with **your** life?!"_

- _"A life full of luuuuuuuurv…" _Selphie cooed, completely ignoring him.

__

She cleared her throat.

- _"Ahem! Dear Zell…"_ she began loudly.

- _"DON'T YOU **DARE**!!!" _Zell shouted from down below.

Rinoa and squall were listening to Selphie intently. Rinoa was grinning broadly and even Squall had cracked a smile…

- _"…The Headmaster informed us about your whereabouts today through the intercom." _Irvine read on _"After hearing about all the adventures you went through, I felt the need to drop you a few lines."_

- _"Irvine, Selphie, I'm warning you!" _Zell threatened, pointing his index finger ominously at them.__

- _"…We've all heard about Lunatic Pandora and Ultimecia," _Selphie continued _"And that you all plan to stop them. I think you're really brave to go off on a quest like this and I just wanted to wish you good luck. My heart will be there with you and all my prayers to Hyne will be addressed to you."_

- _"Awwww…" _cooed Rinoa, touching her chest with one palm and cocking her head to the side.__

- _"…Sincerely, Shizuka." _Irvine finished, smiling.__

- _"Zelly is in wooooov!" _Selphie squealed, wrapping her arms around Zell's neck and jumping off the counter.__

- _"Yo! Get your girlfriend off me, will ya?" _Zell growled at Irvine in annoyance, but his skin had turned crimson.__

- _"Oh Zell, don't be grumpy…" _Rinoa said _"I thought it was really sweet. You should write back before we leave." _

Zell snatched the letter from Selphie's hands, who was still chuckling, and sat back down on his seat, crimson-faced. The whole matter was dropped after that, but Squall caught him numerous times peeking at the letter, blushing, as the subject of discussion changed…

- _"Am I the only one who just realized that Quistis hasn't woken up yet?"_ Irvine suddenly asked.

- _"Seifer hasn't either…" _Selphie said mischievously.

- _"Seifer **always** sleeps in." _Rinoa said _"Made me wonder how that ever guy made it into SeeD…"_ she added, shaking her head.

- _"You mean without counting death threats to the entire Garden Board?" _Squall quipped. Rinoa giggled.

- _"But seriously…" _Irvine said _"Quistis always wakes up very early. Maybe even earlier than any of us…"_

- _"So what?" _said Zell, shrugging _"She slept in for once… It's not like we're in a hurry. Laguna hasn't contacted us yet." _

- _"Fair enough…"_ said Irvine, reaching for another piece of toast fromthe table.

Accidentally, his arm knocked over Selphie's glass of juice, spilling most of it onto her PJ bottoms.

- _"Aw, crap…" _Irvine said _"Sorry babe…"_

- _"Meh, it's OK…" _Selphie said, shrugging, while she dried her pants with some paper towels Rinoa handed her _"I'll go change and be back in a sec…"_

* * *

Selphie slipped a pair of orange sweatpants on and walked towards the bathroom, holding her stained PJ bottoms in one hand. She sealed the drain of the sink and soaked the piece of clothing in water, humming.

_:Giggle__:_

Selphie arched both eyebrows.

_Come on… Stop it…_

__

The girl turned the water tap off and tried to listen more intently.

_Stop… Mmmm… :Giggle: OK, don't stop…_

__

The sound was coming from the… shower stall. Puzzled, Selphie walked towards the empty stall, examining the white tiles. Weird… She didn't think anyone else was staying in the Palace aside from them… And that voice belonged to a woman. How could it be, though? She was more than certain that the room next to hers was…

Selphie clamped her palms onto her wide open mouth **_'Seifer's!!!'_**

The girl pressed her ear against the tiles. But of course… She hadn't heard them last night because she'd slept over at Irvine's… And it certainly explained why Quistis hadn't woken up early, either…

But wait… what if the girl **wasn't** Quistis?

_Mmmm…__ Quis…_

**_'OK, strike that…' _**Selphie thought, grinning broadly **_'Hyne… This is _too_ precious!'_**

* * *

Quistis sat upon the white counter next to the bathroom sink, clad in a white towel. She had her legs wrapped around Seifer's waist and her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Similarly dressed, Seifer held her waist tightly.

He pulled away, kissing her bare shoulder before looking back up at her. Quistis's stomach rumbled wildly. Seifer chuckled.

- _"Hungry?" _he asked.

- _"Starving." _replied Quistis _"You?"_

- _"I could eat something…" _he replied shrugging _"Here's an idea… I'll go grab something from the kitchen and we can eat here."_

- _"Sounds good…" _Quistis said, giving him a peck on the lips _"Hey, can you lend me something to wear? Most of my stuff were at the Lunar Base…" _she said, grinning _"And the PJs are Selphie's."_

- _"Sure." _Seifer said shrugging _"Just grab a tee and a pair of boxers from my bag." _

- _"Thanks…" _she said, nuzzling her head against the crook of his damp neck, hugging his waist.

- _"I'll go change." _Seifer said, giving her a peck on the forehead _"You do whatever girly crap you need to do and I'll be back in no time."_ he added, grinning.

* * *

Selphie barged inside the kitchen in a state of ecstasy. Ignoring the puzzled looks everyone gave her, she dashed over to Irvine and cupped her palms around his ears, beginning to whisper to him frantically.

Rinoa watched as Irvine listened curiously for a few seconds. Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open.

- _"WHAAAT?!" _he shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

- _"What? What happened?" _Rinoa asked eagerly.

- _"Right now?!" _Irvine asked Selphie, completely ignoring Rinoa.

- _"Hey, hey! Let us in on it, too!"_ Zell protested. He was blatantly overlooked as well…

- _"Yuh-huh…" _Selphie replied to Irvine, grinning mischievously and nodding.

- _"Will we make it on time?" _Irvine asked eagerly.

- _"Dunno. If we hurry, maybe…"_ the girl replied.

Irvine jumped up from his seat and grabbed Selphie's wrist, running towards the double doors.

Rinoa beat them to it, however, and stood spread-eagled against the door.

- _"You're not going **anywhere** before you tell us what's going on!" _she demanded.

Irvine grabbed her from the waist and wheeled around, placing her upon the table with ease. He made a move towards the door again, when it got pushed open from outside.

It creaked open and the top of a straw blond head came in sight.

Seifer froze in spot, upon seeing everyone gathered in there. He hadn't been expecting company… **_'Fuck! I _knew_ I should have tried another kitchen!'_**

**__**

- _"Well, well, well…" _Irvine said, examining Seifer from head to toe.

The tall blond was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt, hair still damp from the shower he had taken just before. The expression of utmost surprise on his face was priceless…

- _"…Good morning."_ Irvine added.

- _"Morning…" _Seifer mumbled, standing as still as ever.

- _"Are you gonna come in, or not?" _Selphie asked.

- _"Y-yeah…" _Seifer said, timidly making his way inside the kitchen.

Irvine and Selphie resumed their seats, never taking their eyes off him as he approached the fridge and began taking out stuff. They still watched as he closed the fridge back and walked towards the door.

- _"See ya…" _he mumbled.

- _"Umm… Where are you taking those?" _Squall asked, scowling.

- _"My room…" _Seifer replied, trying to look and sound nonchalant.

- _"Aren't you gonna sit with us?" _Rinoa asked.

- _"Oh… yeah… that…" _Seifer said, frowning _'Well, I… uhh…"_

- _"Surely you don't prefer eating **alone**, do you?" _Selphie asked, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Ummm, no… I just-"_ Seifer stuttered.

- _"Then sit your ass down." _Irvine insisted.

Seifer complied half-heartedly, while possible scenarios for a way to get out of this situation began to run through his head **_'Fake fainting? Too risky… They'll take me to my room and Quis is still there… Fake feeling sick? No… I really need to eat something… Distract them and skedaddle? Yeah, right… With what? Hmmm… Kill 'em all? Damn, I don't have Hyperion with me…'_**

**__**

- _"That's a boy." _Irvine said, slapping him on the back heartily.

- _"ARGH!"_

__

Seifer touched his wounded back with one palm, whimpering.

- _"What do you got there?" _Zell asked _"Wounds?"_

- _"Yeah…" _Seifer answered a bit too quickly _"Y'know… From last n-**evening**!"_

- _"Last **Nnnevening**?" _Selphie said, grinning _"Interesting…"_

- _"Yeah… so… it hurts…" _Seifer mumbled, nibbling on a piece of toast.

- _"I bet…" _Irvine said, arching both eyebrows.

- _"Are you, OK?" _Squall asked _"Cause we have an important mission ahead today and you seem a bit out of place. We can't have that." _he said, frowning.

- _"I'm fine, Pubes." _Seifer growled.

- _"You sure?" _Irvine asked.

- _"Yeah, you look kinda… tired…" _Selphie said _"Doesn't he looked tired?" _she asked everyone.

- _"A bit…" _Rinoa replied, shrugging.

Seifer swallowed his bite with difficulty.

- _"I said I was fine…"_ he insisted _"In fact-"_

__

- _"Hey, what's taking so l-?"_

__

All pairs of eyes turned abruptly towards the door.

Quistis, clad in a big T-shirt and a pair of black boxers, hair damp, stood frozen still, eyes wide, much like Seifer had just a few minutes ago. Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa were the only ones grinning broadly. Zell and Squall looked as if they were one second away from a heart-attack and Seifer seemed as if he just wished Gaia would split open and swallow him.

- _"Morning Quisty!"_ Selphie said, with the cool and collected air of a person who announced the weather on a news report _"Breakfast?"_

- _"Uhh… Sure…" _Quistis croaked out.

She approached the table almost terrified, looking for the less 'suspicious' position. Next to Zell it is…

- _"Fruit Loops?"_ Selphie suggested, smiling.

- _"A-alright…" _Quistis uttered, shrugging.

Selphie filled a bowl with milk and cereal, plunged a spoon inside and pushed it towards Quistis. The blonde nodded as a thank you, tucked her loose, somewhat damp hair behind her ears and began eating wordlessly.

Unbearable silence spread within the kitchen. The tension inside the room was so thick, it could actually be cut through with a knife…

- _"So Seifer…" _Selphie broke the silence _"I didn't get to ask you…"_

- _"Ask me what?" _Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow; he had calmed down a fair amount by now…

- _"I thought you looked tired, so I was about to ask… **Who **did you do-?"_

__

Quistis choked on her cereal and began coughing loudly, while Zell slapped her hard on the back. Seifer stopped in mid-chew. Irvine and Rinoa were grinning, while Squall ran a palm down his face.

- _"Oh, sorry…" _Selphie said innocently _"I meant **what** did you do… Silly me…"_ Seifer pursed his lips, frowning.

- _"Nothing at all. Just had a bit of trouble sleeping. But I didn't stay up **too** late…"_ he replied, shrugging, and continued to eat quietly.

- _"Well…"_ Irvine piped in _"It would certainly explain why he was **up** so early…"_

__

Quistis almost suffocated from the bite that got lodged within her throat this time.

Seifer clenched his teeth.

- _"Yes it would, __Irvine__." _Selphie said, matter-of-factly, nodding _"Wow… Sleeping late, yet getting **up** so early… Gives a whole new meaning to the term **early riser**, doesn't it?"_

__

Zell snorted into his glass of juice, Rinoa buried her teary, red face against Squall's shoulder, who was even cracking a grin himself. Quistis's skin was the color of a fine red Merlot and Seifer looked about ready to commit murder.

- _"Anyway…" _Irvine said, shrugging _"You say you're not tired, so we believe you. Quistis on the other hand…" _The blonde looked up, a terrified expression on her face.

- _"…Looks positively glowing today." _Selphie finished for him.

- _"Maybe it's the new tee…" _Irvine suggested, rubbing his chin.

- _"Oh yeah… What does it say…?"_ Selphie squinted _"Barbie is a bitch." _she read _"Hmm… I swear that sounds familiar…"_

- _"Yeah, doesn't it?"_ Irvine agreed, nodding _"I can't quite place it, however…"_

- _"Maybe it's not the T-Shirt, though…"_ Selphie said, shrugging _"But you know what they say when someone's glowing like that, don't you?" _she asked _"They're either getting too much sleep or too much-" _

- _"Anyone want any water?!" _Quistis snapped. Everyone shook their heads _"No? Alright then… I'll get some for myself…"_

__

She quickly got up and hurried over towards the counters, fumbling around the cupboards. Selphie and Rinoa shared a meaningful look and got up as well, walking over to her.

The blonde filled a glass, holding it with trembling hands. She began wolfing down the water, trying to keep it together and calm down. Rinoa brushed by her and hopped up onto the counter, crossing arms and legs. Selphie wrapped her arms around Quistis's neck.

- _"We want aaaaaall the juicy details…" _Selphie said, giggling.

- _"What details?" _Quistis asked naively.

- _"Ah, playing innocent, are we?" _Selphie insisted _"C'mon Quisty, tell uuuuus! Tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us…"_

- _"You **do** know that she hasn't even **started** to get annoying yet, right?" _Rinoa asked, grinning.

- _"I am aware of that…" _Quistis mumbled.

Behind them, Seifer was eating an apple, totally ignoring the intent glares from Irvine, Zell and Squall.

- _"You gonna say anything or what?" _Irvine asked.

- _"About what?" _Seifer asked.

Irvine dragged his chair close to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

- _"How was it?" _he asked.

- _"How was what?" _Seifer asked back, still pretending to be blissfully ignorant. Irvine arched a sarcastic eyebrow _"I'm not telling you a thing."_

- _"Good…" _said Zell, rubbing his stomach _"I'm not entirely sure I wanted to hear this anyway…"_

- _"I second that…" _Squall mumbled.

- _"Well **I** do!" _Irvine protested _"C'mon, man!" _he insisted, nudging Seifer on the ribs.

- _"Screw you, cowboy… Haven't you ever heard of the word 'privacy'?"_ Seifer said, crossing his arms.

- _"Of course I have. I simply choose to ignore it…" _Irvine said, shrugging.

- _"The answer is still 'No'." _Seifer persisted, yanking Irvine's arm away from his shoulder.

- _"Why the hell not?!"_

__

Seifer ignored Irvine and shot a glance at Quistis, who seemed about ready to scream bloody murder if Selphie kept nagging her.

- _"You're just gonna be jealous…" _Seifer replied to Irvine's previous question, arching both eyebrows playfully, getting up from his chair.

He walked towards the three girls and grinned as he saw Rinoa nudge Selphie to stop, whispering that **he** was coming. Seifer wrapped his arms around Quistis's waist who tensed up for a moment. He bent down the slightest bit and rested his chin on her shoulder.

- _"Sorry to interrupt ladies…" _he addressed Rinoa and Selphie _"Would you happen to know where the glasses are?" _he asked Quistis playfully. She chuckled; she had asked the exact same thing last night, before…

- _"Up in this cupboard." _she replied, pointing at it, without looking at him.

- _"Do you mind getting me one?" _he asked again _"I want some juice…"_

__

Quistis reached up for the cupboard and took out one glass, handing it to him. Seifer freed one hand and grabbed it.

- _"Thanks."_ he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and turned his heel.

Selphie and Rinoa grinned broadly at Quistis's sudden dreamy expression.

- _"Well **that** says it all…" _Rinoa said, giggling.

- _"OK, **fine**… We're together now… Happy?" _Quistis admitted.

- _"Well we'd **figured** as much!" _Selphie said exasperated _"What we wanna know, is-"_

- _"Great. Let's just leave it at that then, shall we?" _Quistis said and turned around, walking back towards the table.

As she made her way back to her seat, she passed by Seifer's chair, who grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, making her sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist again and looked around at everyone, arching an eyebrow.

- _"Anyone got a problem with this?" _he asked. Everyone shook their heads in negation _"So we're done with the stupid questions and innuendo?" _he asked again, turning to glare and Irvine and Selphie.

- _"Where's your sense of humor?" _Selphie asked, grinning _"We were only joking…"_

- _"Am I laughing?" _Seifer asked, turning dead serious.

- _"Geez, imagine what he'd be like if he hadn't gotten any last night…" _Irvine mumbled, just loud enough for Selphie to hear.

- _"What was that?" _Seifer asked.

- _"I said it's **alright**. We'll cut it out." _Irvine replied.

- _"Thank you." _Quistis finally spoke.

She rested her head against Seifer's shoulder, who placed a crooked finger under her chin and gave her a peck.

- _"It's not like you'd miss a chance to rip on any of us…" _Selphie mumbled. Seifer's head emerged the slightest bit from Quistis's neck.

- _"I can actually be **discreet**, Messenger-Girl…" _he said, smirking.

- _"I'd like to see **you** being quiet after having heard about something like, say, Zell's love letter…" _Irvine muttered.

- _"HIS WHAAAT?!"_ Seifer asked, jaw dropping to the floor.

Zell's eyes widened **_'Aw, _shit_…'_**

****

****

* * *

**A/N:** Some Seiftis fluff here and there **:coos****:** and the occasional 'naughty' humorous remarks. Hopefully something that made you crack a grin or two till the next chapter –which actually contains **plot**- is ready in a few days.

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The gang meet up with Laguna and make their plan to get back Ellone._


	38. Chapter 37: Promise?

**A/N:** OK, I know I promised the whole barging into Lunatic Pandora scenario for this time, but as I began to write, other things that needed to be done first came up. So we'll keep that for the following chappy, mmmkay?

Watch out for the Friends cameo in this one! :-p****

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 37: Promise? **

* * *

- _"So… are you gonna write back to her, Zell?"_

- _"No."_

- _"Aw, why not? Are you just gonna let her 'prayers to Hyne' go to waste?"_

- _"It's none of your damned business!" _

- _"Oh, c'mon! We're all a family here… Ooh! You should write to your mom and let her know!"_

- _"Seifer, knock it off already…" _Quistis sighed.__

The seven teenagers were still seated around the table inside one of the kitchens of the Presidential Palace, finishing up their breakfast and coffee.

For the past half an hour, the tall blond had done nothing more than tease Zell mercilessly after the revelation that he had received a letter from the cute librarian with whom he'd been flirting for quite some time now. Well… he had to stop roaring with laughter after a fair five minutes, but during the remainder of time, he hadn't stopped the taunting for a single second. And finally someone had decided to intervene…

- _"I'm just making small talk here…" _Seifer replied, shrugging.

- _"Oh yeah? Wanna make small talk about you and Quistis?" _Zell quipped at him.

- _"Hey!" _Quistis protested_ "I just defended you here!"_

- _"And there's nothing to tell, wuss." _Seifer growled at the shorter blond _"We're together now and that's all."_

- _"Can I be Maid of Honor?!" _Selphie squealed all of a sudden _"And Irvy the Best Man!"_

- _"What?!" _Seifer and Quistis said in unison, both turning to face Selphie wide-eyed.

- _"Hey, wait a sec there!" _Rinoa protested _"**I** wanna be the Maid of Honor!"_

- _"I know them both much longer than you do. I'm the only logical choice." _Selphie retorted proudly.

Seifer and Quistis shared a look full of utter bewilderment.

- _"True, but at this rate I'm **never** going to fit in…" _Rinoa replied, pouting _"I just keep feeling like the fifth wheel of the carriage…" _she went on, letting out an overly dramatic sniff _"All of you know each other from kids and… I-I-I…"_

- _"That kind of tricks won't work on **me**, Heartilly!"_ Selphie snapped, pointing a threatening finger at Rinoa _"**I** taught you all this!"_

- _"Darn…" _Rinoa growled, crossing her arms.__

- _"Oh! OH!" _Selphie exclaimed _"I got it!!! You can be the Maid of Honor!" _she addressed Rinoa.__

- _"Really?!" _the brunette squealed.__

- _"Yeah! I just got another idea!" _Selphie replied _"I can **organize** their wedding reception!" _

Seifer buried his face in his palms.

- _"I'm not hearing this-I'm not hearing this-I'm not hearing this…" _he muttered.

- _"It's perfect!" _Selphie went on, completely un-phased _"When we're through with all this I can put the entire thing together with the Festival Committee! I can have the band play-"_

- _"Selphie-"_ Quistis began.

- _"And I'll sing-"_

- _"Am I the only one who finds this situation beyond plain weird and disturbing?" _Zell mumbled.__

- _"I never believed I'd ever say this in my entire life," _Seifer began _"But I agree with the Wuss."_ he added, earning a glare for Zell.__

- _"And we can invite the **entire** Garden and maybe all of __Balamb__City__ since it's the Commander's wedding…" _Selphie went on.__

- _"Selphie," _Quistis said, sighing _"Don't you think you're a few steps ahead of us?" _she added, grinning awkwardly.__

- _"Yeah!" _Seifer growled _"Big, zero moon gravity steps!" _

- _"Oh, you don't want a big reception?" _Selphie asked _"That's OK; we can make it a small one. Ooh! Maybe it'll even be more roman-"_

- _"Selphie!" _Quistis snapped _"We **don't** want a wedding."_

- _"Period." _Seifer added through gritted teeth.__

- _"Why not?" _Selphie asked, visibly downcast.__

- _"Because we're frickin' **EIGHTEEN**!" _Seifer hissed at her _"And we just got together last night!"_

- _"Eighteen's not **too** young." _Selphie insisted _"Some people even have kids at that age…" _she went on and suddenly her eyes became very large _"Awww!" _she cooed _"Think of how **cuuuuuute** your kids are gonna be!"_

- _"Hyne, now we're having kids…" _Seifer whimpered, burying his head into the crook of Quistis's neck.__

- _"Oh yeah…" _Rinoa agreed with Selphie, coking her head to the side _"They'll be like little angels… Blond… With either blue or green eyes… And if they get Quistis's pale skin, too…"_

- _"Umm… Excuse me…" _

All seven heads turned towards the double doors, where a maid stood rather timidly. They hadn't even heard her enter the room.

- _"Terribly sorry to interrupt you," _she began _"But President Loire had requested for all of you in his private office in about an hour."_

- _"Thank you; tell him we'll be there." _Squall spoke for the first time, nodding at the girl, who left.__

- _"Right…" _Irvine said, sighing _"Better go get ready then…" _he added, getting up.__

- _"It's,"_ Seifer began, checking his watch _"Almost 9 o' clock. So Assembly Hour is in the Main Hall at 1000 hours." _

- _"Sir, yes sir!" _Selphie said, mock-saluting him.__

Seifer shot her one of his deadly glares and shook his head in disbelief. He wrapped his arm around Quistis's shoulder and made a move towards the door, when he felt a tap on his back.

- _"So can I sing at your wedding reception?" _Selphie asked him when he turned around.

Letting out an exasperated grunt, Seifer grabbed Quistis from the wrist and began walking away. The young Instructor almost tripped a fair few times, seeing as Seifer's footing was a great deal wider than hers, especially when he strode forward like that. Selphie's persistent pleas, mixed with her chirpy laughter followed them all the way towards the rooms.

Seifer suddenly came to a stop.

- _"You go inside my room," _he began, pointing at the door in front of them _"I'll go bring your clothes from your place." _he added, snatching the key to her room from her palm.

- _"Why can't I go get dressed and come find you here?" _Quistis asked while unlocking the door, puzzled. Seifer smirked and leaned down to her.

- _"Cause I don't want you getting dressed yet…" _he whispered to her ear and rose back up to full height.

He gave her a wink and turned his heel, as she blushed from head to toe and grinning, closed the door behind her.

Seifer run a hand through his hair and made his way towards Quistis's room.

- _"Seify, Seify, **SEIFY**!" _

Groaning, Seifer stopped in his tracks and wheeled around. Not only did he **detest** that nickname, but he was in no mood for Selphie's further announcements of wedding plans either.

- _"What?" _he asked, crossing his arms.

- _"You didn't answer me!" _Selphie protested.

- _"Answer what?" _Seifer asked wearily.

- _"Can I sing at your wedding reception?"_

* * *

Seifer was on his way back to his room, carrying Quistis's clothes and some underwear. His head was about to split into a million pieces and his palms itched rather badly, always a sign that he felt the adamant need to beat someone into a pulp. Selphie Tilmitt was still on his trail and had **not** shut up for a single second…

- _"Aw, c'mon! I'll even do it for free!"_

- _"I DON'T **CARE**!" _Seifer roared for the millionth time _"Go sing at Puberty Boy and Rinoa's wedding!"_

- _"But they're not even together yet…" _Selphie said.

- _"Fuck, if I didn't l-"_ Seifer began. Selphie's eyes widened and she let out a squeal _"**Like**," _Seifer went on, narrowing his eyes at her _"Quistis so much, I would have broken it off **this** instant just to make you shut up…"_

- _"C'mon Seify! Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…"_

Seifer landed a hard knock with his balled fist onto the door in front of him.

- _"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…"_

Quistis soon appeared behind it and Seifer rushed inside, banging the door behind him closed.

- _"I'm not gonna leave till you say 'Yes'!" _Selphie persisted, crossing her arms, standing outside the door.

- _"GO. AWAY!" _came Seifer's muffled roar from inside the room.

- _"I won't till you say 'Yes'!!!"_

- _"WE'RE FUCKING **BUSY**!!!"_

A wicked grin crossed Selphie features. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth widely, beginning to sing at the top of her lungs.

**_We thought Selphie would leave…_**

****

**_But she just stayed and stayed._**

****

**_That's right; here 'till night…_**

****

**_And Seifer will never get la-_**

The door swung open.

- _"FINE!" _Seifer screamed _"You can sing at our fucking wedding! Happy now?!"_

- _"Thank you!" _Selphie said, grasping onto her chest with both palms _"Does this mean you're gonna propose?!"_

- _"That's right!" _Seifer quipped _"I was just about to do it, but you ruined the whole atmosphere. But I'll give it another try if you leave… **Now**."_

- _"Ooh, this is soooo exciting!" _Selphie squealed, turning her heel and disappearing down the corridor.__

Rolling his eyes, Seifer slammed the door shut once again.

He turned and faced Quistis who was sitting cross-legged onto the bed.

- _"You could have been a tad nicer, you know…" _she said, grinning. Seifer arched a fair eyebrow _"OK, fine, I won't say a thing… Did you get my clothes?"_

- _"Yup." _Seifer said, tossing her peach battle gear onto the bed _"And **these**…"_ he added, smirking.__

He held up a pair of red underwear, dangling from his two index fingers. Quistis's cheeks flushed a zest shade of pink.

- _"Give those back!" _she protested, springing up from bed to grab them.

Seifer's smirk widened even more and he hid the skimpy pieces of clothing behind his back.

- _"I want to see them worn first…" _

* * *

Laguna stood before the large window behind his office, arms crossed behind his back. His blank stare followed the people of his city, spreading before his very feet, going by their daily routine. This was one of his daily leisure activities and he had come to familiarize with many of his fellow people's morning habits. But today, their behavior seemed different. The pride and vibrancy that had always graced their very essence, even the way they walked, was now completely absent. They seemed like empty shells, fulfilling their duties with the same reverence, but somewhat mechanically, as if they took no pleasure whatsoever even to roam the streets of the beautiful city of Esthar.

He sighed.

Even though his origins were Galbadian, he had never felt the slightest bit of attachment to his country. It was after all his country that had sent him away to war, scarring his mind and soul with images to ghastly to discuss, much less bring to mind again. Laguna Loire had never been a soldier. Laguna Loire was a self-proclaimed dreamer and wanderer, never staying in one place for long, but traveling from continent to continent in search of… something. In search of himself. In search of anything to quench his undying thirst to experience it all. Which was another reason due to which he lacked of devotion for his country, but also any other that had occasionally been somewhat of a 'home' to him.

His 'home' was Esthar now. He had grown to love the high-tech city that had so kindly embraced him, which was why he was so saddened to see it crumble to pieces. And by whom? By none other than his former and primary 'home'.

He sighed yet again.

He knew that only one place in the entirety of Gaia had been his true home. It was the place where his wounded body and heart had recovered under the care of a woman. And not just **any** woman, but the one that had given him trust, shelter and her love. A love that would outshine the one that had broken his heart and mend it so strongly, that not even death could have possibly torn it apart again. If there was **one **trait that Laguna had learned to call his own during his times as a soldier, it was the ability to hide his true feelings. His cheerful, innocent façade had always been a perfect mask to conceal the hurt that hid inside, and not even Raine, the woman of his life, had managed to unlock and reveal that part of his character. He was much stronger than he let other people know. And this was the reason why his smile never faltered, even when he placed his lips upon a cold tombstone, whispering the eternal 'Goodbye' to **her**.

There was so much he had been wanting to show her; she would have been so proud of him right now, for the turn his life had taken. He only hoped that she'd be able to see it all, through the eyes of the one person that kept them together until now. He only hoped that these eyes would once see him the way he wished they would. But above all, he hoped that these eyes would help him bring the world back together again…

- _"…Laguna?"_

The middle-aged man tensed up the slightest bit at the sudden touch of someone's palm on his shoulder. He relaxed and turned around, only to find one of his loyal peers, Kiros Seagill, looking at him intently. His face didn't hold the usual 'pleasant sarcasm' with which the man was accustomed to addressing him, but his gaze seemed to pierce right through his own, and Laguna was more than certain that he need not phrase a single word for his life long friend to be able to read his thoughts like an open book.

Kiros forced out a warm smile.

- _"They're here." _he said.

Laguna's handsome features were illuminated by a true beam.

- _"Let them in." _

He turned around and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a big sigh. Behind him, the shadow of a bulky frame approached him and a pair of large hands began adjusting his clothes. Laguna grinned at his mute friend, Ward Zaback, who gave him a hearty slap on the back and stood in reverent silence behind him.

Kiros slid the door open and one by one, the small group of seven that the President had been expecting stepped inside the room, all stopping at attention before him. He noticed that Rinoa, the girl in blue threw a quick awkward glance at the others before correcting her pose. Laguna's eyes traveled from the tallest blond of them in one edge all down to the shortest brown-haired boy in the other, where they stopped and flickered the tiniest bit in hidden excitement.

- _"Welcome again!" _Laguna said heartily _"I suppose no introductions are necessary since we all made our brief acquaintances last night, eh?" _he asked grinning _"By the way, I don't know if Ellone told you, but she said that it was you who she was sending into our minds._ _It was like there were some kind of waves running through my head. They gave us so much power during battle. We thought they were some kind of faeries flying over us."_

Next to Laguna, Kiros cleared his throat audibly.

- _"Erm… right." _said the President, grinning _"If we weren't in a state of emergency, I'd talk some more, but…Well, whatever. Let's talk." _he decided eventually, earning a sigh from Kiros _"What do you wanna know?"_

Seifer and Squall turned to look at each other for a brief moment. Seifer shrugged, resting his elbow on Quistis's shoulder, who was standing right next to him. The girl threw his a glare and shook it off, telling him with her eyes that this was not a place he should act casual. Seifer sent her a kiss and turned away, making her roll her eyes in exasperation.

- _"We want to know about the mission to defeat Ultimecia." _Squall said suddenly, to give no further continuation to the couple's slight bickering.

- _"Ah, straight to the heart of the matter. Just like a workaholic SeeD."_ Laguna said, grinning.__

His remark, however, earned him an icy glare from Squall, who seemed in no humorous mood that morning.

- _"Iz it my turn?"_

Seifer wheeled around towards the door, where the familiar 'lisp-full' voice had come from. He smirked. As expected, the miniscule form of Dr. Odine entered the grand office, always clad in the most disturbing-looking tutu mankind could ever create. The blond's gaze met that of the renown scientist's and he waved at him somewhat mockingly. Dr. Odine's eyes widened and his pace quickened towards the desk in front of which Laguna stood.

- _"Yeah. Make it short and easy to understand."_ Laguna replied.

- _"I will talk however I vant!"_ Odine snapped, like a stubborn child. He recomposed himself and turned towards the seven friends again _"Egh, Sorceress Edea told me everything."_

- _"How's Edea?" _Seifer piped in.

- _"She iz fine." _Odine replied _"She iz resting in her quarters right now. Anyway…Sorceress Ultimecia comes from ze future to possess ze sorceress of present day. Meaning she leaves her body in ze future and sends only her consciousness here. Does zat sound familiar to you?"_

- _"It's like when Ellone sent out consciousness back to the past."_ Squall replied firmly.

- _"You're a smart one!" _Odine admired.

At that remark, Seifer let out a rather audible scoff. Squall chose not to let his attention waver and kept his gaze locked upon the tiny genius before them.

- _"My first guess was zat someone in ze future with an ability like Ellone was sending ze sorceress back here to our time."_ Odine went on _"But no! Zat is not ze answer. So how does ze sorceress come back to this time…? You vant to hear how?"_

- _"If we want to hear, he asks…"_ Seifer said, shaking his head in disbelief _"What the hell do you think we're here for?! Bake fuckin' cookies?!"_

Laguna concealed his chuckle behind a furious looking Odine.

- _"I can get ze shyinking machine out here in seconds!" _the latter hissed, in what he hoped was a threatening tone.

- _"What shrinking machine?" _Seifer quipped _"The one whose beam accidentally fell upon you?"_

Quistis stepped hard onto his foot.

- _"Seifer!" _she hissed _"Show some Hyne damn respect!"_

- _"Oh no…" _Odine said, a Mephistophelian smirk crossing his lips _"Zis machine iz not meant to shyink ze **height** of a person…"_

Seifer's eyes widened and he unconsciously crossed his legs.

- _"I told you before… Insult me again and you shall suffer ze results!" _Odine went on.

- _"I don't think **Seifer** would be the one mostly suffering the results of such a machine, doc…" _Irvine mumbled, sending the entire room but three people into laughter.

Seifer's eyes shone with rage, Quistis blushed from head to toe, while Squall became crimson faced for entirely different reasons.

- _"Could we get back to the plan if you please!" _Squall snapped.

- _"Az I waz saying…"_ Odine continued, now grinning broadly _"Zere iz no-one in ze future with Ellone's ability._ _Eghhhhhh__! I kept this a secret to surprise you… It iz because of me, Odine!"_

- _"Why am I not surprised?" _Seifer muttered, just loud enough for Quistis to hear.

- _"I researched Ellone's power long ago."_ Odine went on _"I made out a pattern from ze electric current running through Ellone's brain. Once ze pattern was determined, it was easy to mechanize. It may only be a toy right now, but in ze time of Ultimecia, it iz an impressive working machine! Which means there iz a machine which imitates Ellone's power. It iz I who made ze first model of zat machine. I named ze machine 'Junction Machine Ellone'! It iz a wonderful thing to know that my invention is used in ze future!"_

- _"So wait, wait…" _Seifer piped in _"This means that Ultimecia came to know about Ellone from your machine?"_ he asked.

- _"Exactly." _Laguna replied _"And so Elle became Ultimecia's target. You can't blame Odine. It's useless."_

- _"You vant to go outside!? You vant to fisticuffs!?"_ Odine threatened the President, making him roll his eyes and sigh._ "OK, we continue ze story!"_

- _"Yo," _Zell began _"So now we know how that Ultimecia got to know about Ellone. But we don't know how we can fight her. We're here to learn how to kick her ass, right?"_

- _"Let's see…"_ Odine said, rubbing his chin_ "There iz only one way to defeat Ultimecia. You must kill her in ze future. There iz nothing we can do unless we go to ze future."_

- _"So basically, we're screwed before we even begin…"_ Seifer commented, frowning.__

- _"Super-duper-mega bummer!"_ Selphie squealed in disappointment.__

- _"Vait, vait!"_ Odine interrupted _"There is no way to jump to ze future under **normal** circumstances. But there iz still a way! It iz because Sorceress Ultimecia plans to compress time. Compressing time with magic…Vat good will it do for ze sorceress to compress time? There may be may reasons, but it doesn't matter. Let's just figure out vat Ultimecia iz up to. In order for Ultimecia to exist in this time, she must take over ze body of a sorceress from ze present. But ze machine must have a limit. Ultimecia probably needs to go back further in time to achieve time compression. Only Ellone can take her back further into ze past. Zat iz why she iz desperately seeking her. We must take advantage of Ellone's power. There are two sorceresses in our time. Sorceress Rinoa and Sorceress Adel."_ At the sound of these words, Rinoa's gaze traveled to the floor_ "Of ze two, Adel has not awakened yet. Once regeneration is completed, neither Laguna nor I will be safe. Sorceress Adel is probably in ze process of awakening inside Lunatic Pandora. Ultimecia will want to possess Adel, if Adel wakes up. Zat vill be a horrible event. Adel iz a horrible sorceress. If Adel's consciousness wins over Ultimecia, Adel will first destroy this era. So we must use Sorceress Rinoa to inherit Ultimecia's powers. Zat's all for ze mission briefing."_

- _"So first we have to get back Sis Elle." _Selphie said.__

- _"Yes, go to Lunatic Pandora."_ Odine replied _"Ellone's probably being held captive inside, so rescue her first."_

- _"OK, then what?"_ Irvine asked, crossing his arms.__

- _"Then kill Sorceress Adel before ze awakening process is completed."_ Odine replied_ "Now, we're left with Rinoa as ze only sorceress of this era. Then wait for Ultimecia to possess Rinoa."_

- _"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"_ Squall interrupted, as Rinoa's eyes snapped wide open _"What the hell are you talking about?! The whole idea was **preventing** Ultimecia from coming to this world and possessing Rinoa again!"_

- _"Let me finish first…"_ Odine insisted_ "When Ultimecia arrives, it's Ellone's turn. Ellone will send Rinoa back to ze past with Ultimecia. Ellone will have to send Rinoa and Ultimecia inside another sorceress she knows in the past. Edea or Adel…Zat's up to Ellone. Once Ultimecia iz in ze past, she'll use ze time compression magic. We will see some influence here. I don't know vat kind of influence, but once Ellone feels it, she'll cut Rinoa and Ultimecia off from ze past. Rinoa will come back to this world. Ultimecia also goes back to her own world. Vat would be left is ze time compressed world. Past, present, and future will all get mixed together. You will keep moving through ze time compression toward ze future. Once you're out of ze time compression, zat will be Ultimecia's world. It's all up to you after zat."_

Squall frowned.

- _"And Rinoa will be safe?" _he asked, a suspicious frown crossing his eyebrows.

- _"She vill be back to zis world and back with you." _Odine replied, nodding.

And with those words, he left the room, rendering it into a state of heated silence.

- _"So you were briefed about the mission…"_ Laguna stated, breaking the stillness of the office _"I don't really understand it, either."_ he added, grinning _"Will you do it?"_

Seifer and Squall looked at each other once again, nodding.

- _"Yeah, we're all for it…" _Seifer replied **_'…I guess…'_**

- _"We all agree, right?" _Squall asked, glancing around his comrades, receiving nods from everyone.

- _"Alright!!!"_ Laguna cheered _"Let's go! We'll get aboard Ragnarok! Let's do the final briefing in there! I always wanted to ride that thing. Plus the name sounds so cool! We'll just get ready and meet you there."_

* * *

Zell exited the President's office last, closing the door behind him. He scratched the back of his hair and stared at his peers bewildered.

- _"Am I the only one who didn't understand squat of that cooky plan?"_ he mumbled.

- _"I kinda got lost somewhere in the middle, too…"_ Rinoa agreed.

- _"It's not that hard really…" _Quistis intervened.

Everyone's attention turned to her.

- _"Ultimecia wishes to compress time for reasons unknown to us, so we'll just leave that aside." _the blonde Instructor began _"In order for her to compress time, however, she needs to go back further into the past. That can only happen through Ellone, or the machine, but as Dr. Odine said, the machine has limited powers. So she's left with Ellone only. And now we understand why she has been sought after all this time; Ultimecia needs her to fulfill her plan of Time Compression."_

- _"OK, so far so good…" _Zell said, nodding.

- _"In order to find Ellone," _Quistis continued _"She had to enter the consciousness of a person who lives in Ellone's time. But not just any person; a Sorceress. There are two Sorceresses in our time; Adel and Rinoa. She could have easily chosen Rinoa, but now that Adel is about to be awakened, she'll choose her to maximize their combined power."_

- _"But we can't have that, because Adel would destroy us all." _Selphie piped in.

- _"Exactly." _agreed Quistis _"So our plan is this: Once Adel awakens, Ellone will send Ultimecia and Rinoa's consciences to the past, and into another Sorceress she knows. Either Adel or Edea. So we'll let Ultimecia believe she got what she wanted. Hence, Time Compression will commence. This is when Ellone will send Rinoa and Ultimecia back into their own worlds, leaving us into a state of compressed time. This way, we can get to Ultimecia and fight her."_

- _"But how are we going to find her within Time Compression?" _Rinoa asked.

- _"That's easy." _Quistis replied _"Within Compressed Time, we can travel to the-"_

- _"Future and beat her in her own world." _Squall finished for her.

- _"Precisely."_ Quistis said, beaming _"Always top of your class, Squall." _she commented with a wink.

- _"Whoa, Quisty, sometimes you can be frighteningly brainy…" _Selphie admired.

- _"So, are we all done here?" _Seifer interrupted, looking annoyed _"Can we go get ready?"_

- _"Yeah, assemble into the Hall in half an hour. The President and the others will board with us upon the Ragnarok and we'll be off towards Pandora." _Squall said.

- _"Good, dismissed." _Seifer stated-slash-ordered, grabbing Quistis from the wrist and turning his heel.

The blonde girl let out a small squeak as she got yanked away towards the corridor and followed Seifer. She threw a sideways glance at him. He was frowning, not saying a single word and seemed to be doing some serious thinking and/or brooding.

- _"Something wrong?" _Quistis asked.

Grunt.

- _"Any chance of a human language reply?" _she asked again.

Grunt.

- _"What is it?" _Quistis asked with a sigh.

- _"Ooh, Squall, always top of your class…" _Seifer said mockingly, imitating a woman's voice _"Why don't you go have babies with him or something if he's so fucking smart?"_ he said, letting go of her wrist.

Quistis would have under any other circumstances been angered by his behavior, but she knew only too well that if she snapped it would lead into yet another of their infamous meaningless arguments, so why bother? Besides, it sort of flattered her that he was jealous…

Chuckling, she quickened her pace and slipped her palm into his. Seifer tried to yank it away, but Quistis persisted.

- _"You know who my **favorite** student was though, don't you?" _she asked sweetly.

Grunt.

Sighing, Quistis stopped in her tracks and pulled Seifer into a stop as well, making him turn around to face her. Standing onto her tiptoes, she cupped his face and gave him a soft kiss. Seifer tried to get away, but she held him in place, deepening the kiss. When she withdrew, his face was much milder, but still in somewhat of a frown.

- _"Better?" _she asked, grinning.

Seifer opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Instead, he let out a growl and pointed a threatening finger at her.

- _"Your **evil** tricks won't work on **me**, woman!" _he hissed at her only half-angered and turned his heel.

Quistis crossed her arms as she watched him walk away down the corridor and began counting backwards in her mind **_'Four… Three… Two… One…'_**

Right on cue, Seifer turned around, strode back to her and grabbed her wrist, continuing to walk down the hallway holding her hand. But still pretending to brood.

Quistis couldn't help but chuckle at that…

* * *

- _"Alright everyone, listen up!"_ Laguna spoke sportingly _"We've been through the plan already, but you still don't know how to get to Ultimecia when Time Compression takes place. Ultimecia lives far in the future where none of us can technically exist. There's only one way to make yourself exist in a world like that! As friends, don't forget one another! As friends, believe in one another! Believe in your friends' existence! And they'll also believe in yours. To be friends, to like one another, and to love one another… You can't do these things alone. You need somebody. Right, guys? What place reminds you of your friends?"_

The six mercenaries turned and looked at each other, in a mental agreement of what place each and every one of them would choose. No words needed to be spoken. The only one left out, however, was Rinoa…

- _"Imagine being in that place with all your friends."_ Laguna went on _"Once time compression begins, think of that place and try to get there! That's all! That place will welcome you. You'll be able to get there no matter what period you're in! You need love and friendship for this mission! And the courage to believe it. It's all about love, friendship, and courage! I'm counting on you guys!"_

- _"No offense…"_ Seifer interrupted _"But all that love and friendship, hippy tree-huggin' crap sound way too corny…"_

A round of grunts greeted his comment. Squall, however, arched both eyebrows **_'I've said it before and I'll say it again… It's really creepy, but sometimes this guy actually voices my thoughts…'_**

- _"Hey, don't get me wrong!" _Seifer protested _"If everyone's up for it, I'll do it. Just saying my opinion…" _he added, shrugging.

- _"Ummm… Mr. Loire?" _Rinoa interrupted, walking towards Laguna.

- _"Just Laguna, dear." _the President said, smiling broadly at her _"What's up?"_

Rinoa glanced at her comrades who were looking at her intently.

- _"Could I… uhh… have a word with you? In private?" _she whispered.

- _"Sure, sure…" _Laguna said, nodding.

Passing an arm around her shoulder, he walked with her outside the cockpit of Ragnarok, leaving the occupants of the room bewildered.

- _"What the heck was that all about?" _Irvine wondered out loud.

- _"Come on, cut her some slack…" _Selphie piped in _"She's the one who has to do the most serious job in this mission. Maybe she needs to talk about the details with Sir Laguna."_

- _"Selphie's right." _Quistis agreed, nodding _"She has actually agreed to let Ultimecia possess her again. I wouldn't blame her even if she declined to be a part of this. Come on everyone, let's go." _she said, grabbing Seifer's hand.

- _"Where are we goin'?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Well, we've got a tough day ahead of us." _Quistis replied _"Don't you want to go get some rest?"_

If it was humanly possible, the edges of Seifer's lips would have touched his earlobes right about now.

- _"Hell yeah…" _he replied huskily. Quistis narrowed her eyes at him.

- _"Not **that** kind of 'rest'!"_

* * *

Rinoa kept walking along one of the corridors among the chambers of Ragnarok, Laguna by her side. She kept her gaze locked upon the floor, trying to build up the courage to say what was in her mind. Laguna's palm tightened onto her shoulder in a sympathetic rub.

- _"Rinoa, do you want to back away from the mission?" _he asked her softly.

- _"No!" _Rinoa snapped, looking up immediately.

- _"It's OK…" _Laguna reassured her _"I'll understand if you're scared. It's a very heavy burden to put upon your shoulders."_

- _"No, no, no!" _Rinoa persisted _"You don't understand! I **want** to be a part of this mission and help in **every** way I can! I wanted to talk to you about something else…"_

- _"Oh, alright then…" _Laguna nodded, smiling _"Go on; don't be shy…"_

The girl took in a deep breath.

- _"Well, you see…" _she began hesitantly _"It's about the plan…"_

- _"Is there something you disagree with?" _Laguna asked.

- _"No…" _Rinoa replied, shaking her head in negation _"But there's a part I don't think I'll be able to go through. Not because I don't want to, but because I just can't…"_

- _"Which part?" _Laguna asked.

- _"You said that in order to travel through time and get to Ultimecia, we needed to think of a place that reminds us our friends and go there, right?" _Rinoa said. Laguna nodded _"Well it's just that… I… I don't have such a place…" _she mumbled, her gaze lowering to the floor again.

Laguna stopped in his tracks and placed his palms onto Rinoa's shoulders, bringing her to a halt as well.

- _"What do you mean by that?" _he asked, his brows creasing in bewilderment.

- _"I… I didn't have any friends…" _Rinoa replied, still not looking at him _"Until recently, that is… But everyone…" _She suppressed a sob _"Everyone has been together since… forever and I just don't fit in… They all fight together, they have all those memories together…" _A tear ran down her face _"And they have a place to think of, that reminds them of all they share. It's the same place… So… So everyone will have there to go to, and I… I… won't…"_

- _"Oh, Rinoa…" _Laguna said, his face falling.

- _"And I'm sorry," _Rinoa went on, now in between wails _"But I can't help. I'm **so **sorry! I wish I could, but I'll just get lost and everything will go wrong because of me! I don't want to ruin your plan! And I'm not a good enough fighter like everyone else; I'm not one of them. I'll just stand in the way… And I don't want to be a burden-"_

- _"Rinoa, look at me." _Laguna said, raising her chin with a crooked finger.

The brunette sniffed loudly and slowly raised her bloodshot eyes to look at Laguna's bright, warm green ones.

- _"Are you even listening to yourself?" _Laguna told her incredulously _"What do you mean you're not one of them?"_

- _"I'm not in the same league." _she replied, shrugging _"And I'll never be. They were born fighters and that's why they fit so well with each other. And that's also why **I**'ll never fit in…"_

- _"You don't know what you're talking about…" _Laguna said, shaking his head in disbelief _"I've never seen you fight, so I can't judge, but I've seen something else, that proves exactly how much everyone considers you one of them."_ Rinoa sniffed again.

- _"And what's that?" _she mumbled.

- _"They came for you, Rinoa!" _Laguna exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world _"They didn't leave you behind! Because they're your **friends** and needed you, cared about you! Who cares if you're not as good a fighter as they are? Which, by the way, I don't think you are… They wanted you back for who you are, not for your skills. They all wanted their **friend** back…" _he finished, running a hand through her hair.

Rinoa smiled broadly.

- _"Do you really believe that?" _she asked eagerly.

- _"No, I don't believe it…" _Laguna said, shaking his head in negation _"I **know** it."_ Rinoa chuckled.

- _"But…" _she mumbled _"What about the place I'm supposed to think of? I still don't have that…"_

- _"Hmmm…" _Laguna said, rubbing his chin _"You know what? I have an idea… You said that all of them share memories in that place, right? And all they have to do is recall those memories and they'll be there, right?"_

- _"Right." _Rinoa said, nodding.

- _"Then what do you say we create a new one?" _Laguna suggested _"One where you're included as well."_ Rinoa's lips parted.

- _"But… how?"_

- _"We'll just take you there." _Laguna replied, grinning _"Help you build up a memory from scratch, with a place everyone loves and the people **you** love in it. What do you say?"_

Rinoa didn't reply. She just bit her lip and dove into Laguna's embrace, burying her head within his arms, hugging him tighter than she had ever held her own father…

- _"Thank you…" _she whispered.

* * *

A slight tremor made Quistis lift her head up from her pillow and cast her sleepy gaze around the room quizzically. The so far surprisingly smooth ride, considering Selphie's unconventional methods of flying, had just been interrupted for reasons that eluded her. She reached out for her glass case, hidden underneath her pillow, and slipped her silver thin-rimmed spectacles on. Yawning the slightest bit, she turned around and nudged Seifer's sleeping form on the shoulder softly. The sleeping blond let out a grunt and turned over, continuing to indulge himself in blissful slumber.

- _"Seifer…" _Quistis persisted, nudging him again _"Wake up…"_

- _"Mmmm…?" _Seifer muttered, not turning around.

- _"We stopped."_

- _"…………and?"_

- _"Well we can't be in Tear's point yet." _Quistis replied _"It's," _She checked her watch _"Still __five thirty__."_ Seifer yawned deeply.

- _"…So?"_

- _"So, go check it out!" _Quistis whined, nudging him on the back.

Letting out a long-dragged sigh, Seifer turned over to face her, opening his eyes only half-way, while scratching his messy hair.

- _"Do I have to?" _he mumbled sleepily.

- _"Come on, go check it out." _Quistis replied _"I'm scared to go outside…" _She pouted.

Seifer arched an eyebrow.

- _"**You**, are scared to go outside?"_ he quipped.

- _"Well of course… I'm a defenseless, weak woman…"_ she said, trying her best at a frown that screamed 'helpless little bunny'.

- _"And this," _Seifer said, reluctantly sitting up on the cot _"Is coming from the same woman who chased me around Garden with her freakishly sharp-barbed whip when I gave her a gift on Valentine's Day this year…" _he added, shaking his head in disbelief, while getting up from the cot. Quistis narrowed her eyes at him.

- _"You gave me **batteries**…"_ she said through gritted teeth.

- _"Well, I'm sorry!" _Seifer said, grasping his chest in mock-hurt _"I didn't know you were expecting something fancy! We weren't even together then! And my gift was quite practical if you gave the tiniest bit of thought in it…" _he went on, while slipping a T-shirt on.

- _"You gave me **advice** on where exactly I should use the batteries…" _Quistis replied with the same expression, crossing her arms _"You're lucky you got out of it in **one piece**…"_

- _"It's not my fault if your perverted mind took it the wrong way…" _Seifer said, shrugging innocently _"Anyway, bottom line is this: You're just too bored to get up, so drop all excuses about being a helpless little woman…" _he finished, narrowing his eyes at her in mock-anger.

- _"You're an angel…" _Quistis said, smiling sweetly at him, then proceeding in lying back down on the cot, turning her back at him.

Seifer shook his head in disbelief, while slipping his feet through his boots, not bothering to tie them up. He strode over towards the door of the small room, which slid open mechanically the moment he approached it.

- _"Seifer?"_

The tall blond turned around, coking a questioning brow at Quistis. The girl had turned over again and was now hugging the pillow, looking at him intently.

- _"Hurry up and come back, OK?" _she said softly _"I feel cold now that you're not lying next to me…"_

Seifer opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. He grinned at her, gave her a wink and exited the room.

* * *

Selphie carefully handled the steering mechanism of Ragnarok, while Irvine stood up beside her, helping her out with the controls. Just then, the door behind them slid open and Seifer strode inside.

- _"What's going on?" _the latter asked _"Are we landing?"_

His question was immediately answered, as the aircraft vibrated vigorously, making him lose his footing and find himself on the floor head-first. The Ragnarok gave another big tremor, before the slight thud of the aircraft making contact with the terrain was heard –and in Seifer's case, felt-. Irvine beamed at Selphie.

- _"You've improved!"_ he admired, making Selphie blush.

- _"Thanks Irvy!" _she squealed, bobbing up and down her seat merrily.

Seifer grunted, aiding himself up from the floor and straightened out his hair.

- _"Anyone mind telling me why we've landed?" _he asked, adjusting his clothes.

- _"Sir Laguna's orders." _Selphie said, turning around to face him.

- _"Weren't we supposed to head straight for Tear's Point?" _Seifer asked, frowning _"What, are we stopping to give the Galbadians a good view of our aircraft first, before the ambush?"_

- _"But we're not in Esthar." _Irvine said. Seifer's frown became denser.

- _"Then where the hell are we?"_

- _"Centra." _Selphie replied, as if it were the most logical response.

- _"Oh, Centra?"_ said Seifer, nodding his head sarcastically _"OK, quick question though… **WHY**?"_

- _"Laguna's orders." _Irvine repeated _"Something dealing with what Rinoa told him."_

- _"Why have I not been informed of this?" _he asked, crossing his arms.

- _"We told Squall." _Selphie replied, shrugging.

Seifer's frown became deadly right about then.

- _"You didn't really wanting me interrupting you and Quistis **again**, did ya?" _Selphie asked, acting diplomatically.

- _"Good point…" _Seifer admitted, rubbing his chin _"Anyway, where's Commander Puberty? I wanna talk to him."_

- _"Ah, no can do, I'm afraid." _Irvine said _"He's with Rinoa."_

Seifer arched both eyebrows.

- _"Doing **what**?!"_

* * *

Squall walked down the dirt path in the entrance of the Lighthouse Orphanage. It was hardly six in the afternoon, but it was already dusk in the continent of Centra at this time. Squall's steel blue eyes scanned the area slowly, his gaze stopping at a lone figure a few feet away from him.

She had her back turned at him and was standing still, facing the flower field that spread before her feet. The dim, amber light of the sun slowly setting behind the mountains fell upon her, illuminating her in strange, but gorgeous angles. She seemed so drawn away from the sight before her, that Squall didn't even know if she could hear the sound of his steps as he approached. He stopped right behind her, trying to figure out exactly what to say to gain her attention. He didn't actually feel like talking right now. Seeing her like this, alone, beautiful, made him want to do nothing more than just… hold her. He was never one to say much, anyway. Why speak, when actions can say so much more?

- _"I was expecting you…" _Rinoa said softly, bringing him out of his trance.

She still hadn't turned around.

- _"Yeah umm…" _Squall mumbled, walking up beside her _"Zell told me you wanted to talk to me…"_

- _"Right…"_

They stood side by side in silence for a fair few minutes, but Rinoa never uttered a word. She still hadn't turned to look at him, either. Beginning to feel nervous, he decided to be the one to break the ice.

- _"Well…? What did you want to talk to me about?"_

- _"Not talk per se…" _Rinoa said _"I just needed… a memory… of this place… With someone I feel close to."_ Squall swallowed hard.

- _"You feel close to me?"_

For the first time, Rinoa turned around and faced him, flashing him one of her rare smiles. She was never one to frown, quite the contrary, but Squall had the feeling that sometimes, she reserved smiles like these just for him. As selfish as that may sounded…

- _"Of course I do." _she replied _"I may not know you that well, but we've been through quite the adventures together, haven't we?" _she asked, chuckling.

- _"Yeah…" _Squall replied, grinning, looking away.

She smiled once again, right before turning serious.

- _"What'll become of me?"_ she asked.

- _"Don't worry about it."_ Squall said, trying to sound supportive _"There've been many good sorceresses. Edea was one. You can be like her."_

- _"But Edea's still…"_ Rinoa trailed off _"I can't guarantee anything, either, if Ultimecia possesses me again… You saw me. She controlled me in outer space and made me break Adel's seal. What_ _might happen next time? What will I end up doing? Will I end up fighting everyone?"_ She paused, sighing _"Scary thought, isn't it?"_

She had turned her gaze away from him again. But his was locked upon her this time… **_'Rinoa… Even if you end up as the world's enemy, I'll… I'll be your knight.'_**

- _"If I fall under Ultimecia's control again…"_ Rinoa spoke again _"SeeD will come kill me, right? And the leader of SeeD is you, Squall… You and Seifer… Squall's sword will pierce my heart… I_ _guess it's ok if it's you, Squall. Nobody else. Not even Seifer…"_ She paused again _"Squall, if that ever happens…"_

- _"That's enough!"_ Squall snapped, making her look up at him, startled _"I'll** never** do anything like that. The sorceress I'm after is not you, Rinoa. My enemy is the sorceress from the future… Ultimecia."_

- _"Ultimecia lives in the future and possesses me."_ Rinoa replied _"She uses my body as her extension into this world. How? How will you save me?"_

- _"I'll…"_ Squall began _"I'll come up with something… There's gotta be a way."_

Rinoa sighed.

- _"Don't worry. Trust me."_ Squall said.

- _"…I trust you."_ she replied _"Well, until you find a way, maybe… Maybe I should stay in Esthar, at the memorial? Wouldn't that be better?"_

- _"No… That'd be pointless. I'll just end up gong after you again."_ he admitted.

The girl chuckled. It was nothing like Squall to come out in the open and admit something like this. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much of a conflict he'd have to have put up against his inner self to blurt that out… And she owed him as much now…

- _"Can I tell you a story?"_ she asked. Squall nodded _"I had a dream. It was a scary dream. We make a promise. We promise to see shooting stars together. I get dressed up and put on your ring. But the thing is,"_ She frowned_ "I can't remember where I'm supposed to meet you. I start to panic. I really want to see you, Squall, but I don't know where to go. I start running through the mountains, the desert, the plains… Through Timber, Balamb and Galbadia… When I realize I can't run any longer… I… I just want to see you so badly… So I scream, Squall, where are you?! Then I woke up. I was crying. I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything. I just felt like I had to tell you."_

- _"It was just a dream…"_ Squall said, taking a step closer to her, while she locked her eyes with his _"It… It doesn't mean anything. Don't worry about it."_

- _"…I guess you're right."_ Rinoa said, running her finger down Squall's cheek.__

Surprisingly, he didn't flinch. There had been a time, when any person's touch stung like acid at the thought this feeling of comfort being abruptly taken away. But for some reason, he had grown to long for **her** touch, and welcome it. He didn't want to be scared anymore. Not with her…

- _"How about this…"_ he began, steadily leaning close to her _"I'll be here…"_

- _"…Why?"_ Rinoa whispered, never ceasing her finger's movement.

- _"The reason why you couldn't find me was because we haven't promised yet_." Squall replied

- _"Promised…?"_

- _"I'll be waiting for you. If you come here, you'll find me. I promise." _

His face drew closer to hers, as her palm cupped his face. His hands, that had so far been hanging loose, timidly rose up, fingertips touching the sides of her waist the slightest bit. The warmth of her breath fell heavy upon his face as he drew closer when…

She rested two fingers upon his lips.

- _"Don't get me wrong." _she began immediately _"I want this. **So** much more than you could possibly imagine… But I don't want to allow myself to be careless after a moment like this."_

Squall looked at her quizzically.

- _"I want to have something to wait for, after this ordeal is over." _she went on _"I want us both to have something to fight harder for; this moment." _She looked up at him _"So, what do you say? Is it too much to ask for two promises in a day?" _She smiled at him _"Is it too much to ask both of us to put this on hold, so that we'll promise each other we'll both be back to finish what has just started?"_

Squall smiled warmly at her. He held the back of her head, pressing it against his nape as he embraced her, and closed his eyes.

- _"It's a promise."_

* * *

Zell let out a long-dragged sigh while lying on his cot.

In his hands, a letter with flowing writing still stood, read over and over numerous times. It had given him much more strength that what he'd ever thought it would. Because now, he one more reason something to go home to. One more reason to fight harder and prevail.

He placed the letter, still open, under his pillow and closed his eyes.

**_'Pray for me, Shizuka… Pray for all of us… That way, you'll be there with me… And I'll be back for you. I promise…'_**

* * *

Selphie nudged Irvine for the millionth time.

- _"Irvine Jonathan Kinneas, how **dare** you fall asleep on me?!" _she hissed, pinching him hard on the ribs.

The cowboy let out a yelp of pain and snapped his eyes open, finding a **very** angered Selphie, lying on top of him, still wearing the hat she'd 'stolen' from him only a few minutes ago.

- _"Sorry, babe! But I'm really beat!" _he protested, flashing out his most charming grin.

The average girl would have melted on the spot with a grin like that, but Selphie Tilmitt was neither average nor just **any** kind of girl. She was **his** girl…

- _"Did you even listen to a single word I said?" _she said, frowning.

- _"Of course I did, darlin'…" _Irvine replied in an almost exasperated manner _"You were telling me about Emma and Casey from T-Garden-"_

- _"That was ten minutes ago!"_

Irvine sighed.

- _"Well, I'm truly sorry…" _he said, taking her hands in his own, kissing the tops of her palms _"Anything I can do to make it up?"_

- _"Forget about it…" _Selphie said, and rolled off him.

She fell back onto the cot and turned her back at him. Irvine made a move to remove the hat from her head, but she held on to it tightly.

- _"That's **mine** tonight!" _Selphie said facing him, sticking her tongue out at him, turning her head around again.

Irvine chuckled and hugged her from behind, placing a tender kiss onto her bare shoulder. He nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck and closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep again.

- _"Irvy?"_ Selphie began, somewhat hesitantly.__

- _"Mmmm?"_

- _"When all this is over…" _she mumbled _"Will you… Will you go back to Galbadia?"_ she asked, rolling onto her back.

Irvine opened his eyes and rested his head against his palm, lying onto his side.

- _"Do you want me to?" _he asked her.

- _"No." _Selphie replied, pouting.

Irvine chuckled, tucking a lock of unruly hair behind her ear tenderly.

- _"Then I won't. I promise…"_

* * *

Laguna looked outside the window of his small room staring at the starry veil of night sky above.

He held a picture of Raines in his palm, 'talking' to her, like he did every single night for the past seventeen years. And the eyes of his beautiful wife always looked back at him, with patience, hearing what he had to say, comforting him even with her silence.

**_'Wish you were here, Raine… You should see our boy all grown… He's… He's so handsome. He's got your beautiful eyes… And he's so gifted… Smart, responsible, serious… But why am I telling you all this? I'm sure you already know… I'm sure you're watching over him, being just as proud as I am that he turned out so well…'_**

****

The grown man sighed deeply.

**_'I'll make things work out, Raine… I'll be the man I never was in the past and be there for our son… I promise…' _**

* * *

Quistis was gently grazing her nails against Seifer's face. They just lay there, next to each other, under the warmth of their shared blanket, not uttering a single word. Just looking at each other… Just enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed against one another in a loose embrace.

- _"Listen…" _he whispered _"Tomorrow won't be an easy day… We have a lot ahead of us… Things may happen… I… I just want you to know that… I…I-"_

- _"Me too." _she interrupted him, smiling.

Seifer chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

- _"How are you so sure you know what I was gonna say?" _he teased.

- _"I just know." _she replied, shrugging _"Are you sure you mean it?"_

- _"Yeah… I do…"_

- _"Then let's not say anything else…" _she said, burying her face into his arms _"It's enough… Just promise me we'll hold each other again like this… When everything is over…"_

- _"I can't predict the future, Quis…" _Seifer said, sighing _"No-one can…"_

- _"I know that." _she replied _"Just promise me, that **some** way, we'll hold each other again like this… No matter what…"_

Seifer raked his palm through her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead.

- _"I promise…"_

* * *

**A/N:** Mushy chapter… Kinda decided to go with the 'promise' theme in the last few scenes, where I showed everyone's thoughts and actions just before the 'big fight'. Cause if you think about it, right after the fight with Adel, there's no turning back for our heroes…

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Ragnarok busts into Lunatic Pandora and our heroes search for Ellone…_


	39. Chapter 38: Lunatic Pandora

**A/N:** OK, who's up for some **action**?! Yup, an action chapter this time, well-needed after all the fluffiness of the past few ones.

Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the song **_'Firestarter'_**. But Prodigy, who own it, are comin' in Athens October 1st! :-p

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After conjuring up their final plan, the group spends one last night in the Ragnarok, preparing emotionally to tumble down to the downward spiral starting from their upcoming battle…_

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 38: Lunatic Pandora**

* * *

The dark, ominous shadow that had spread above the ancient ruins of Tear's Point over the past couple of days still lingered, as sinister as ever. The angelic forms of the harp-wielding statues below always bore the tear-shaped cracks upon their cheeks, ever since the day even the lifeless world cried along with the skies, for the terror that befell upon the peaceful continent of Esthar. The eerie, stagnant silence that had muted the atmosphere so far was abruptly broken. 

A distant, humming sound of engines tore through the air, and the massive silhouette of a grand airship appeared in the horizon. Slowly approaching Tear's point like a giant floating dragon, the Ragnarok's canons rose up steadily…

* * *

- _"Here we go! Let's bust in there!"_ Zell exclaimed sportingly, standing right above the pilot's seat just like everybody else. 

Selphie and Irvine were the ones sitting behind the controls, eyes focused in front of them.

- _"I wonder if we can get through."_ Quistis said, biting a fingernail in apprehension.

- _"Course we'll get through!"_ Seifer said determinedly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and yanking the palm whose finger she was biting away.

- _"Yeah, don't worry about it."_ Irvine agreed, grasping the piloting mechanism harder.

- _"Are the machine guns and main cannon ready?"_ Quistis asked.

- _"Rrready!"_ Selphie replied, throwing her fist onto the air victoriously _"Let's just fire like crazy and make a big hole, BOOM!"_

* * *

Ragnarok rose, beginning to fire its machine guns rapidly. 

The loud bang of the first cannon shot echoed deafeningly, as the gigantic, scorching mass of flames flew from the nozzle of the first cannon and collided hard with the shields of Lunatic Pandora, creating wide ripples. Ragnarok plunged into the shields, but was slightly repelled. The nose of the airship pushed through the shielding and the entire aircraft began to come through. A second cannon blast came, creating an even wider opening upon the black shell of the humongous structure. A great cloud of dust covered the newly-formed entrance, while tons of debris fell to the ground below from dozens of feet above. The crevice appearing right after the soil settled, was more than wide enough even for the magnitude of Ragnarok.

The red aircraft moved ahead, creeping through the hole its cannons had created. The clawed 'hands' on its sides hooked themselves against the floor, heaving the Ragnarok inside the Lunatic Pandora with ease.

* * *

- _"We sure made a huge mess."_ Irvine noted, chuckling, as the sound of Ragnarok's engines shutting down was heard. 

- _"And it's about to get even bigger…" _Rinoa said, pointing ahead _"Look."_

Dozens and dozens of Galbadian soldiers marched towards the crumpled site of the facility, all armed and ready to repel unwanted 'visitors'. They had, without a doubt, been drawn by the drum-piercing sound of the explosions that had taken place just now.

- _"OK, we need to clear space before we can move inside." _Squall said _"Zell, Quistis, fire those machine guns away."_

- _"With pleasure…" _said Quistis, grinning from ear to ear, mischief dancing wildly within her clear blue eyes.__

The duo took their places behind the two machine guns beside the controls and grasped onto the handles. Quistis brought the zoom panel before her and narrowed her eyes.

- _"Ready, Zell?" _she asked her peer.

- _"As I'll ever be!" _the blond replied excitedly.

- _"Clear…" _said the girl, moving her panel towards the target _"FIRE!"_

The two blondes began shaking vigorously upon their seats, as bullet by bullet flew away and onto the crowds of terrified blue-clad soldiers. The heavy ammo of the guns pierced through flesh, bringing all Galbadians down one after the other. Few of them escaped, and those who did, withdrew from the battle field and back inside the safety of the building.

- _"Alright!" _Seifer exclaimed _"We'll need to be sheltered once we enter. Everyone cast Protect upon you!" _he ordered.

Following Seifer's order, everyone prepared for the next upcoming battle, among flashes of blue and swings of weapons. Quistis slipped off her seat once the first wave of Galbadians was cleared away and took out her whip. She cracked it in mid-air, and closed her eyes, a blue aura engulfing her as she cast a Protect spell around her. She felt a pair of palms rest upon her shoulders.

- _"Is it OK that I was **totally** turned on by this?" _Seifer whispered into her ear.

- _"Seifer!" _she exclaimed, blushing.

- _"What? I've never seen you like this before!" _he protested, chuckling.

Quistis turned around and faced him, grinning. She readied her weapon in one hand and smirked at him wickedly.

- _"Let's go."_

* * *

Seifer jumped off the gradually opening hangar of Ragnarok, landing upon a mass of debris, sending dust everywhere. He aided himself up with one palm, plunging Hyperion into the soil. Laguna and Irvine followed right behind him, then one by one the rest of their small troop. 

Laguna and Irvine moved a few steps ahead, weapons at the ready, scanning the area.

Seifer ran a gloved hand through his hair.

- _"Looks like they all retreated back inside." _Squall said, stepping up next to Seifer.

- _"Yeah…" _Seifer agreed _"Better split into teams, don't you think?"_ Squall nodded.

- _"We'll find Ellone faster this way." _he agreed.

He turned around to face the rest, who were eagerly waiting for instructions.

- _"Laguna, Kiros, Ward, you'll be one team, right?" _he addressed the first.

- _"Always have, always will be." _Laguna said, nodding firmly.__

- _"Who's going with Squall, who's coming with me?" _Seifer asked everyone.__

- _"We'll go with you." _Irvine and Selphie said in unison.__

- _"Then I get Zell and Quistis." _said Squall _"Rinoa, you should be with the biggest group to ensure your safety. Who are you going with?"_

The brunette seemed taken aback from the sudden attention. She didn't need to put any thought into which team she wanted to be with…

- _"If it's OK," _she addressed Squall _"I'm coming with you."_

- _"Alright then." _Squall said, nodding _"Are we all OK with the arrangements?"_

Affirmative nods came from all directions, giving the operation the 'OK' to move on. All three teams sprinted forward and up the small stairway, leading straight into a gigantic pipe. With the first step inside, Seifer was brought into the familiar environment of Lunatic Pandora. Some, however, were entering for the first time.

Quistis pressed her palms against the glass walls of the pipe surrounding them, gaping at the view spreading beneath her feet.

The interior of Lunatic Pandora was filled with complex, labyrinth-like passages, massive, transparent ducts that would seem to be floating in mid-air unless plunged into the walls, whereas below, nothing but vast, endless abyss spread. Every cylinder, like the one they were standing within right now, had illuminated tiles onto the floor below and spread beyond eye reach.

- _"No time to be impressed…" _Seifer whispered into Quistis's ear _"Come on." _he added, grabbing her from the wrist, trotting ahead.

Less than fifteen feet ahead, they came across their very first junction. Another passageway continued from a branch of the main pipe, heading towards their right. The group all exchanged glances.

- _"We'll take the first detour." _Laguna said.

- _"Alright." _Squall agreed _"If you find Ellone first, contact us. You have Seifer's number."_

- _"And that goes for everyone." _said Seifer _"Whoever gets to Ellone first, informs the rest and we gather up again."_

- _"Gotcha." _said Laguna, saluting both Seifer and Squall.__

The small team of the three middle-aged, but still as lively as ever, men skidded down the hallway to the right. Their silhouettes were still visible as they moved away, heading down the see-through, glass duct.

- _"Moving on." _Squall said eventually, striding forward.

The lengthy pipe continued down for a fair few distance, hovering countless feet above the blackness that spread below. Rinoa had been taught never to look down when crossing anything similar to a bridge, but her anxiousness and curiosity got the better of her many a time, making her glance roll down to the transparent floor. Each and every time, however, she raised her eyes back in place, shaking her head in disbelief and muttering a quick prayer to Hyne to give them strength in this mission.

The tunnel soon reached its end, marked by a blue door with the writing '02' upon it. Not hesitating a bit, Seifer stepped through the mechanical doors that slid open immediately.

It was obvious that they'd entered some sort of elevator, for when the doors closed behind the last member, the small shaft they'd entered began ascending. They spent a few agonizing moments in silence, smelling each other's fear, anticipation, sensing the heat and sweat that trickled down everyone's bodies, listening to the discreet sound of their heavy breaths. A small ringing sound was heard, indicating they'd reached their destination. Seifer swallowed his fears and stepped outside resolutely.

The moment the doors slid closed behind them though, his determination suffered its first heavy blow. What stood before his eyes, was a humongous Hall, with no visible ceiling. If they moved straight ahead, they would end up in some sort of archway, from what he could tell from his position. If they chose any of the two paths on their right and left, they would be brought before a different pair of doors each.

Not surprisingly, they read '01' and '03' each. Green, blue and red. And all of them led to three different elevators. They had just ridden the middle one, so that option was easily discarded. But the dilemma **_'Tri-lemma, better…'_** still remained **_'Door No1, door No3, or the curtain?_****_ Erm… Archway?'_** Seifer thought.

- _"Second crossroad…" _Zell said, scratching the back of his head _"So… Who goes where?"_

- _"Hey, wait a second!" _Selphie piped in _"That down there," _she said, indicating what Seifer had perceived as an archway _"Is the stairway we took when we first came here. That leads nowhere. Just to the entrances down below."_

- _"Yeah, Selph's right!" _Irvine agreed _"So it's only a matter of the two elevators."_

- _"Which one did you take last time?" _Squall asked Seifer.__

- _"I think we took the one on the left…" _he said, pointing at the red door reading '03' _"But I don't think it'll matter. We don't know where they've got Ellone."_

- _"True." _Rinoa agreed.__

- _"Then why don't you take the other one this time and we'll take the red one, '03'." _Quistis suggested.__

A round of nods and/or shrugs greeted her proposal, so it was unofficially unanimously agreed. Selphie and Irvine walked towards their right and to the green elevator, reading '01', while Squall, Rinoa and Zell headed towards the other one. Quistis made a move to follow them, but felt someone pull her back from the wrist.

She turned around barely in time to see Seifer's face, as he leaned in and pressed his lips upon hers. Holding the back of her head, he deepened the kiss for a split second before pulling away.

- _"I'll see you again soon…" _he told her, running a hand through her hair.

Quistis spent a couple of seconds watching him move away and disappear through the green doors of the elevator. She wheeled around and followed her own team, entering the red elevator. She leaned against the walls as it began to ascend, closed her eyes for a few moments and sighed **_'Hopefully…'_**__

* * *

The green doors of the elevator split open. 

All three of its passengers immediately shielded their eyes, as a blinding light surged into the so far semi-dark shaft. Seifer rubbed his shut eyelids and groaned.

- _"The hell…?"_

Selphie was the first to open her eyes again. Squinting at first, she eventually managed to open her eyes to full length, once accustomed to the brightness.

- _"The light comes from the reflections guys; it's safe." _she said.

- _"What reflections?" _Seifer asked, still rubbing his eyes.

- _"Open your eyes and you'll see."_

With a bit of effort, Seifer did as he was told. His spotted vision gradually became clear, providing him with the sight of what looked a great deal like a mine. Thick layers of a translucent blue mineral of sorts covered the walls for what was probably many feet in depth ******_Crystals_****_…' _**Seifer guessed, which would surely explain the myriads of reflections of the light. There was a single path lying before them. Their only choice for the moment.

Seifer stepped forward first, following the slightly inclined trail. The pathway made a wide curve, leading up towards their right. And at the end of that course, lay their first crossroad.

Two new passageways appeared before them, one branching to their right, and the other continuing straight ahead. Seifer cursed through gritted teeth.

- _"Not another fucking one…" _he said wearily.

- _"No time to lose." _said Irvine _"I say ahead."_

- _"Me too." _agreed Selphie.

- _"I'd say left, seeing as we've kept going ahead so far." _Seifer said _"I can see I'm being outnumbered, though. But wait; shouldn't my leadership give me two votes?"_

- _"That makes us 2-2 and only loses us more precious time." _Irvine said matter-of-factly _"We can always head back if we take the wrong route."_

- _"Fine, have it your way…" _Seifer growled mildly, and moved straight ahead.

The path they had been following so far seemed hauntingly familiar to Seifer and he was almost certain that the next room they would enter, would be… **_'Exactly…' _**he thought.

All three of them came face to face with the chamber they'd managed to reach during their previous break in within Lunatic Pandora, right before being abruptly thrown out and back to the streets of Esthar. Seifer only hoped this wouldn't be the case this time, because it was one thing being thrown a few feet down and onto the Esthar skyways, but it was completely another to be thrown hundreds of feet down and onto the deserted grounds of Tear's Point. And if they weren't careful this time –he swallowed with difficulty- the second possibility was more than likely to come true…

Taking out Hyperion and getting into battle position, he spoke to his companions.

- _"I don't think that I need remind you of the way our last 'visit' here ended…" _he muttered, receiving two firm nods in reply _"Just be prepared this time…"_

His words were greeted by the drawing of a stylish silver gunshot and a pair of shiny nunchaks, both quite recent possessions of their owners.

Proceeding cautiously with each and every step, the small group crossed their way down the path lying ahead of them, leading into the elaborate-looking doorway. Seifer's jade eyes scanned the grand chamber in alert. His gaze rested upon a complex stairway on their right, leading to upper levels of the chaos that was the Lunatic Pandora. Yet another crossroad on their way **_'That will have to wait…' _**Seifer thought **_'We'll check the doorway ahead for now and come back if needed…' _**

_'Oh, yeah?__ That's what you said a few minutes ago…'_ said a nagging voice in the back of his head _'What if that doorway leads to even more rooms and passageways?'_ Seifer creased his eyebrows **_'Shut up, logic. We'll do it _my_ way today… As always…'_**

The crossing of the open area to the small stairway that led up to the double doors seemed to take forever. Last time, this was the point where Hyne decided to be a spiteful bitch with PMS and flip them off… Feeling cold sweat running down his spine, Seifer took the last step towards the doorway and pushed it open.

But the sight rewarded him.

The room they'd just entered was a dead-end, but at the same time, it was the room they'd been looking for, the moment they'd entered Lunatic Pandora.

- _"Seifer! Selphie, __Irvine_

Ellone stood only a few feet away from them, seized by two Galbadian soldiers. She was barely struggling to get away, since the men holding her captive were much stronger, but the light of hope had just reignited within her brown eyes.

Seifer stepped up, pointing Hyperion at the two men.

- _"Hand Ellone over." _he ordered, the cock of his gunblade clicking _"NOW."_

One of the two men laughed out loud.

- _"You don't honestly think it's going to be so easy, do you?" _he quipped at Seifer.

- _"If you don't step away now, yes," _Seifer replied coolly _"It **will** get rough for you two."_ The man scoffed.

- _"I don't think so, kid." _he said.

He seized Ellone on his own, while making a motion with his head to the other man. The latter moved away and took a few steps forward, slipping his hand onto his belt. He took out what looked like a rather big remote control and pressed a button.

Distant humming was heard that exact moment, along with the sizzling sound of… electricity?

The three peers exchanged looks of apprehension.

- _"Why do I **not** like this one tiny bit?" _Irvine mumbled from the edge of his lips to the other two, while tightening his grip onto Exeter.

- _"That makes two of us…" _Selphie mumbled.

- _"Three." _Seifer piped in.

Immediately, their worst fears came to life, when the very same contraption that had thrown them away the previous time descended almost magically from the ceiling. Seifer's eyebrows arched and his lips parted.

- _"Oh… shit…"_

Why the hell did he have to jinx it?! Why the hell did they have to keep Ellone there? And why the hell did Hyne still hate them so much? Why, why, why?

The Galbadian holding the controller pulled a small joystick around, making the machine move at his command. Seifer prepared mentally to become one with the Esthar grounds permanently, when the robot stopped before them and a loud, mechanized voice was heard.

**_[Initiating Attack Mode…]_**

Seifer's eyes snapped open. Attack mode? So they actually stood a chance? Relatively speaking…

He didn't have much time to ponder on that thought, as slivers of electricity began engulfing the machine, as if charging it to life. He barely had time to blink, before a vast explosion took place before them, and all he saw was a bright flash of blue as he got shoved backwards and onto the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Irvine and Selphie had been knocked backwards as well. Groaning, he tried to get up, realizing that he hadn't gotten wounded and neither had Selphie or Irvine. The Protect shields they'd cast not too long ago must have kept them safe. But there was no telling how many more blows they'd be able to take before wearing off completely…

Selphie swiftly hopped up to her feet and prepared a spell among her fingers. Seifer barely caught glimpse of a purplish energy beam, before she cast it against the machine. And if he'd guessed correctly…

- _"Meltdown!" _Selphie shrieked.

A cloud of purple aura gathered before the contraption, quickly evolving into mushroom-like form, eventually blasting upon it. Seifer mentally praised Selphie for her insight; Meltdown spells had the ability of 'softening' a mechanical enemy's defenses down, making it more vulnerable to physical attacks. And right on cue, Irvine raised his shotgun and aimed fast.

The loud bang that emitted from Exeter's nozzle sent a massive bullet straight towards the machine.

But it didn't have the effect they had been expecting… Or rather, hoping for…

The bullet never pierced the metal torso of their mecha enemy, just lodged onto the metal plate, creating no visible damage, other than shoving it back a couple of feet.

Seifer cursed. So much for physical attacks… They'd have to rely on magic again. It was something he was never a specialist at, or particularly enjoyed, but in times of need just like this one, he was left with no choice.

Extending his arm forward, he mouthed the first kind of spell that came in mind when facing a mechanical opponent.

- _"Thundaga!"_

A minor earthquake shook the ground beneath the machine, as a bright beam of electricity sprung out, shattering the ground. The spell engulfed the mecha beast, and as expected, vibrated it a fair amount but… Still not a respectable quantity of damage.

Seifer's patience was lessening more and more with each passing second. Not to mention his nervousness hitting an all-time high… This was the second time he'd been brought face to face with a situation like this, but the previous time, the monster had turned out to be an undead one. And quite clearly, this could not be the same case. They were running out of options and the more time he spent on strategy, the more he faced the danger of ending up one great mass of red goo…

**_'Come on! There _has_ to be a weakness to this fucking thing! _Everything _has a weakness!' _**his mind screamed back at him.

Meanwhile, it didn't take time for the machine's controller to ponder on the following move. The device lunged forward and straight towards Selphie. A natural approach, since the girl appeared to be the frailer one and consequently the easiest target of the three. Survival of the fittest…

The brunette barely had time to react, before she found herself pinned against the floor, struggling under the unbearably heavy weight of the apparatus. Pinkish, whip-like 'tongues' sprung from its bottom and slithered upon her like skinless snakes, ready to choke her to death. But Selphie Tilmitt was not known as the best nunchaku fighter within Garden for no reason; her creativity allowed her to come up with other, more insightful ways of handling her weapon, especially in a crisis just like now.

The miniscule girl felt the sticky trail of all four 'tongues' upon her body as they traveled towards her neck, disgusting, but also scaring her shitless. At the right moment, however, she grasped one nunchak of her Crescent Wish and brought it up to her face. She could hear Irvine scream her name beside her, but it seemed so distant, so far away, for she had no time to pay attention to him. She had to concentrate hard on her current surge of creativity, in order for her newest plan to work. She squirmed and distanced her face as far away from the first approaching 'tongue' as possible. She could sense its grotesque form, see its pinkish glow as it inched closer, when she acted.

The unchained edges of her weapon were adorned by a Crescent Moon and a Star, both quite sharp and handy in battle, even though they appeared like nothing but a jewel. Fortunately, Selphie was well aware of their jaggedness and brought them forward at the right time, just when the tongue was about to coil around her slim throat. She hooked the Moon shape against the whip-tongue, ceasing its movement at first, then tearing it apart with one firm pull.

Next to her, Irvine took this as his cue to finally act. Loading a Pulse bullet onto Exeter, he held his cherished shotgun firmly and took yet another perfectly aimed shot. Seifer ducked away as he sensed the bullet zoom by him. He had no doubt whatsoever about Irvine's marksmanship skills, but still, the idea of a gigantic and incredibly destructive bullet flying but mere inches apart from you was something quite unsettling.

The bullet found its desired target as always, plunging deep into the center of the machine's top part, right between the two engine-like orbs that surrounded it. The robot flew backwards a good six feet, losing hold of Selphie for good. The girl immediately sprang up to her feet and readied her weapon once again.

Ellone, who had so far witnessed the battle trembling to the core and sweating like mad, winced as the man seizing her tightened his grip and cursed under his breath. He turned his attention to the soldier controlling the robot.

- _"Cast the Homing Laser, already!" _he growled at him.

The controller nodded firmly and pressed yet another button upon the remote control. A red one.

Seifer creased his eyebrows **_'Why is it always a _red_ button?'_**

The machine rose a couple of feet at the newest command. The mechanized voice was heard once again.

**_[Initiating Twin Homing Laser…]_**

The two white orbs surrounding the top part of the main metal body were suddenly detached from the rest of the apparatus. They spun in mid-air and stood still in place, a tiny exhaust of steam starting to emit from each one. A pair of gleaming yellowish beams surged out from their sides and circled to the front, where they merged into one, thicker beam.

Seifer had the sudden, horrible feeling that it was directed towards him…

He was proven right.

It took less than a second, for three screams to drown within the deafening sound of the beam colliding with his Protect shield, shattering it completely. The shield might have gotten the full blast of it, but the laser beam still got to Seifer. He felt his breath die upon his lips, as his body caught fire on the inside and flew backwards in mid-air for a fair couple of seconds. The blast shattered the floor surface he had been standing upon less than a few seconds ago, exploding it to pieces and bringing Irvine and Selphie down as well.

As the back of his neck made hard contact with the floor, everything went black for a second. He never felt his body make a roll backwards, only fluttered his eyes open for a split second, finding his face pressed against the cold, dirty floor and feeling his body aching in myriads of places. Then blackness again…

- _"SEIFER!"_

* * *

_How are you so sure you know what I was gonna say? _

_I just know. Are you sure you mean it?_

_Yeah… I do…_

_Then let's not say anything else… It's enough… Just promise me we'll hold each other again like this… When all this is over…_

_I can't predict the future, Quis… No-one can…_

_I know that. Just promise me, that **some** way, we'll hold each other again like this… No matter what…_

**_No matter what…_****__**

****

**_We'll hold each other again like this…_**

****

**_Yeah…_****_ We will… I promised you…_**

****

**_But…_****_ What if I never wake up again?_**

****

_Don't be such a drama King, Almasy._

_You just passed out for a second._

_It'll take a lot more for your stubborn head to break for good…_

_But if you don't get up now,_

_I **assure** you that you'll never wake up again…_

**_Can't… Too exhausted…_**

_You gave a promise to someone, remember?_

_And by Hyne, you will fulfill it._

_No matter what.___

**_Who are you anyway?_**

_Who am I, he asks…_

_I'm your **conscience**, jackass…_

_Here to give you a good kick up in the ass after eighteen years_

_of__ complete absence._

**_………_**

**_…_**

**_…_**

**_I'm goin' nuts…_**

****

_No shit…_

_Now GET UP!_

****

**_Fine, I will! _**

****

**_As soon as I find a way to get my ass out of this situation._****__**

****

****

_If you take much longer, you will_

_indeed__ get your ass out of that situation…_

_…in a body bag!_

**_Well, what the hell do you suggest I do about that killing machine out there? _**

_Use your frickin' imagination!_

_Or, I dunno… _

_Search inside whatever fuckin' knowledge you_

_managed__ to acquire after all these_

_years__ of training._

**_Oh, fucking great…_**

****

**_You _do_ realize that the amount of knowledge I've got from Garden adds up to one big null, right?_**

****

****

_Geez, didn't you do **anything** in that frickin' classroom?!___

**_………_**

**_……_**

**_…_**

**_…Well… I _did_ use to draw shit on the desks…_**

****

****

_Why the hell am I even trying here?!_

_You're a lost case, kiddo._

_Kiss your arrogant days goodbye._

_Hell… Kiss your days goodbye period!_

**_Well, screw you!_**

****

**_I'll have you know that my on-desk, mini graffiti collection includes a true masterpiece of Quistis in-_**

****

**_……_**

**_………_**

**_…_**

**_……… Holy shit! _**

_………………_

_"…so recent models constructed in RoboCorpTM, Galbadia, offer a more sophisticated version of the older prototypes, due to the use of…"_

_Seifer is sitting on the very back row of desks as always, completely ignoring the sound of Quistis's voice as she lectures them about the recent developments in international robotics. He was even bored during lectures about gunblades, his weapon of specialty, let alone his Instructor's tiresome droning **'About shit I'm willing to bet my left ball won't **_**ever_ prove useful…'_**_ he thinks._

_His attention has been drawn by his most recent work of art; an inked sketch of a woman, now adorning the top right side of his desk. The girl is lying down on imaginary floor, wearing a SeeD uniform that is currently unbuttoned, leaving little to imagination. Her hair is loose and falls past her shoulders, while her big eyes hold a provocative look. She is holding a whip, cracking on mid-air. Right above her head, a small bubble appears, reading:_

**_Do me, Seifer!_**

_And the girl bears a tremendous resemblance to Quistis Trepe… _

_Seifer chuckles while putting the finishing touches to his masterpiece, right before a shadow falls dark upon his desk **'Oh, fuuuuuuck…' **_

_"Mr. Almasy," speaks a cold, feminine voice above him "Would you be so kind as to explain to your fellow classmates what I just said?"_

_Seifer swallows with difficulty. One word flies within his mind: 'Busted!'_

_Keeping his cool, he looks up at her and smirks._

_"I was under the impression that this was **your** job, Instructor." he says._

_"Of course."__ Quistis replies, eyeing him austerely "And as you'll know perfectly well, it is also my job to make sure discipline is held within this classroom."_

_"No objections here." Seifer retorts, grinning innocently._

_"May I ask what was so important or interesting that monopolized your attention?" she asks "Because, if you find it more interesting than my lecture, then by all means! Share it with the classroom!"_

_Seifer casually rests his elbow upon the desk, covering the freshly drawn sketch, while propping his head against his balled fist. _

_"I'd rather not, thank you." he replies in mock-politeness._

_Unfortunately for him, Quistis's observational skills were way above average, hence, his oh-so-elegant attempt to conceal the evidence of his creation fails miserably._

_"What's that you're hiding there?" she asks, arching one fair eyebrow in suspicion. _

_By now, the entire classroom has turned to observe the constantly heating 'battle'. Instructor Trepe VS Garden Bully. Enter 0 – 0 so far…_

_"Nothing."__ Seifer replies, shrugging, skillfully masking his rising apprehension under a smirk._

_"**Some**thing."__ Quistis insists "Lift up your arm." she orders._

_"I'd rather not, thank you." he repeats._

_"I was not asking, Mr. Almasy." Quistis says, narrowing her eyes at him "I will not say it again; lift up your arm."_

_"Why should I?"_

_"If you're innocent as you claim, then you've got nothing to fear, right?" Quistis quips at him "I will even apologize for my misjudgment."_

_"Flattered.__ But the answer's always 'No'." _

_Deciding to follow the not-so-honorable path about this, Quistis smirks inwardly, while she rises up the stick she uses to point upon the blackboard. She nudges Seifer's elbow -which stood upon the farthest top corner, hence was in strategic position- away, causing him to slip and tumble down to the floor. In a last-minute effort to retain his pride, he grasps onto the desk with one palm, still trying to conceal the X-rated sketch as Quistis approaches. _

_However, the girl is not willing to let her Machiavellian student win on this one, and keeps him at bay with one palm, while leaning down above the desk. She adjusts her glasses in position with her free hand and glances at what appears to be a sketch._

_Upon a closer look, her eyes snap wide open. _

_Instructor Trepe VS Garden Bully.__ Enter 1 – 0…_

_………………_

_Seifer is kneeling upon the seat of his desk, lips pursed, brows creased, as he vigorously rubs the top right corner of his desk with a piece of cloth soaked in alcohol._

_Quistis is sitting upon a desk, just one row away, arms crossed, watching him intently._

_"Don't stop reciting!" she snaps "Keep going…"_

_Seifer inwardly lets out every swearword created by the human mind since the creation of time… And a few of his own… _

_His Instructor has decided to punish him, by making him scrub the sketch away from the desk, while reciting that day's lesson. She speaks first, then he repeats._

_"…so recent models constructed in RoboCorpTM, Galbadia…" Seifer growls._

_"… offer a more sophisticated version of the older prototypes, due to the use of different metals for their manufacturing." Quistis reads. _

_"… offer a more sophisticated," **'I'll get you for this one, you sadistic bitch…'** "Version of the older prototypes," **'Little do you know, that your dirty little sketch resides in my personal sketchpad as well…'** "Due to the use of different metals," **'Mark my words… It'll make the round of the **_**entire_ Garden…'_**_ "for their manufacturing."_

_"Such metals," Quistis goes on "Are usually preferred for unique chemical abilities they possess, which prove to be useful and offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses."_

_"Such metals are usually preferred for unique chemical abilities they possess, which prove to be useful and offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses." Seifer mumbles._

_"Care to venture a guess and name one metal you think might fall into this category?" Quistis asks him, momentarily shutting the book._

_"Care to venture a guess an-" Seifer begins._

_"Seifer, I am **asking **you." Quistis says wearily "Have you been paying any attention at all, or have you just been blabbering back what you were hearing?"_

_"Well I'm terribly sorry, milady!" Seifer quips, slapping the wet cloth against the desk, rubbing harder now "I was too busy scrubbing that shit away from my desk!"_

_"One, you'll watch your language." Quistis says, counting with her fingers "Two, it's entirely **your** fault that you have been put under detention, seeing as that… **thing** was **your** work of art. And three, detention is not just about punishment. It's about actually **learning** something from your mistake."_

_"Fine.__ If you'll just repeat your question, Instructor…" Seifer growls, still scrubbing hard "I forgot what it was among all the jabbering…"_

_Sighing, Quistis repeats the question._

_"Care to venture a guess and name one metal you think might fall into this category?"_

_"What category?" Seifer asks back._

_"Come on, Seifer!" Quistis said, exasperated "We just went through this! We were talking about metals that are preferred in robotics for unique chemical abilities they possess, which offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses…"_

_"And now you want me to try and guess one metal that might belong in that category?" Seifer asks._

_"Yes…" Quistis replies wearily._

_"No fuckin' idea…"_

_"Seifer!"___

_"OK, fine… No **frickin'** idea…"_

_"THINK!"_

_"Fuck, I dunno!" he snaps, throwing the cloth away, flustered "Silicon?!"_

_Quistis looks quite taken aback at first, then her features become milder and she presents him with what is truly a rare smile._

_"Elaborate, please?" she says._

_"Elaborate what?" Seifer retorts, crossing his arms._

_"What you just said. Why silicon?" she asks._

_"Well…" Seifer hesitates, shrugging "Isn't that a semi-conductor?"_

_Quistis's smile broadens._

_"Meaning?" she asks._

_"The hell, Trepe?__ Do I have to explain everything to ya?" he quips at her._

_"**Instructor** Trepe.__ And yes."_

_"**Meaning**," Seifer begins, wearily "That it only allows electricity to pass through it under certain circumstances. So it acts like both a metal and a non-metal."_

_Quistis's smile could have reached her ears by now…_

_"And name one of its most common weaknesses, please?" she asks._

_"Melts easily."__ Seifer replies laconically._

_Quistis gets up from the desk and moves toward the door. _

_"You should use **that**," she says, tapping on her temple "More often. It can get quite sharp if you train it. But it'll blunt just as easily if you abandon it. And you've got a natural 'sharpness' in there. Don't let it blunt away…"_

_Seifer arches an eyebrow at her._

_"Just clean that up and you can go to bed." Quistis says "If anyone sees you out past curfew tell them you had permission and to contact __me__" she finishes, leaving the classroom._

_Seifer smirks and wrinkles the cloth into a ball in his palms. He feels the moisture from the alcohol, as it slowly evaporates from his skin. His eyes rest upon the top right corner of his desk, where the sketch still lies._

**_'As if I was gonna do ya a favor and scrub it away, _Instructor_…'_**

_He tosses the cloth onto the air, whose tips are only moistened by alcohol, and grabs it again, exiting the classroom while whistling an uplifting tune…_

**_'I already use _that_, Trepe… But only when I feel like it…'_**

****

_………………_

**_…… Holy shit, that's it!!!_**

**_The fucker's made of silicon! How could not I have seen it before?!_**

_Do you honestly want a reply?_

**_Shut it, dammit! _**

****

**_I'm having a moment here!_**

_You can have your 'moment' later, you idiot!_

_Now GET UP!!!_

**_OK, OK, fiiiiine…_**

* * *

As the back of his neck made hard contact with the floor, everything went black for a second. He never felt his body make a roll backwards, only fluttered his eyes open for a split second, finding his face pressed against the cold, dirty floor and feeling his body aching in myriads of places. Then blackness again… 

- _"SEIFER!" _Selphie shrieked.__

For a few agonizing seconds, he seemed to have passed out. But while the machine particles recoiled back in place, he began to stir. He grabbed his aching skull with one hand, while aiding himself up with the other.

He was aching everywhere, the insides of his head were throbbing so hard that they were threatening to pump his sanity away and dammit! He had a promise to fulfill and he didn't want to have to wait any longer!

Eyes narrowed and glinting, he slowly got up on his feet. He wiped a rivulet of blood that had just trickled from the edge of his mouth with his gloved fist and clenched his teeth. His cells felt like they were pulsating with anger-filled energy…

**_'You've chosen the wrong person to mess with, fuckers… I'm the fear addicted and the danger illustrated.'_**

He extended his arm.

**_'…I'm a firestarter.'_**

It seemed as if blazes instantly escaped the tips of his fingers, and a scorching mass of flames engulfed the mecha beast. He barely caught glimpse of the looks of utter surprise and anxiousness on the Galbadians' faces, as he lunged straight ahead.

Feet away from his robotic opponent, Seifer twisted his Hyperion backwards and twirled on the spot. He spun around and brought the steel blade of his most trusted friend upon his foe.

He didn't even sense the slightest obstacle as the blade cut through the metal surface and circuits of the device. He not only didn't cease to spin, but seemed to gain more speed as he brought his weapon down again and again and again…

With one graceful move, he came to a stop, holding Hyperion in one unbent arm, breathing heavily, facing his enemy.

Scattered chunks of half-molten particles were all that was left of the opponent that not long ago, seemed to be taking the better of them…

Seifer smirked widely, pleased by the befuddled stares he was getting from all directions. Clicking the cock of Hyperion, he pointed it between the two Galbadian soldiers.

- _"I call that 'Demon Slice', motherfuckers."_ he sneered at them _"Want a taste of that, too?"_

None of them dared reply, simply gaped at him **_'Thought so…'_**

- _"Then get the fuck away from Ellone!" _he roared at them, finger slipping down to the trigger.

The two Galbadian soldiers did as they were told immediately, stepping aside from the girl.

Ellone broke into a run, ending up buried within Selphie and Irvine's arms, hugging them tightly.

With one arm equipped and still threatening the two Galbadians, Seifer reached for his cell-phone down his pocket with the free one. He slipped the lid open and dialed a number, bringing the phone close to his ear. Squall's voice was soon heard from the other end of the line and Seifer's smirk widened.

- _"We got her…"_

* * *

Ellone remained engulfed within Laguna's embrace for the past few minutes. The surrogate father of the young girl seemed finally at peace, holding her again in his arms. 

Meanwhile, Seifer was sitting on the floor, having the corner of his lip wiped by Quistis, all the rest of his peers standing above them. The tall blond shot a sideways look at the girl.

- _"Why does it always end up with you playing __Florence__ Nightingale for me?" _he muttered at her.

- _"Because you keep getting your head banged." _Quistis replied _"Now go on… You were saying?"_

- _"There's nothing else to say." _replied Seifer _"Ask Selphie and __Irvine__, they won't tell you anything new. After the fight we questioned the two men, but they knew nothing about Adel's whereabouts." _

- _"And by questioned," _Selphie piped in _"He means that he threatened to rip their throats with his gunblade."_ Squall shook his head in disbelief.

- _"So where are those two now, anyway?" _he asked Seifer.

- _"Dunno…" _Seifer said, shrugging.

- _"What do you mean, you don't know?!" _snapped Squall _"Don't tell me you let them go?! They may end up recruiting the entire army force that resides here!"_

- _"Oh, trust me; they won't be doing that…" _Irvine said _"They're too busy getting acquainted with the bottom floor of Lunatic Pandora…"_

Squall, as well as everybody else on the other team, stared at Irvine quizzically.

- _"Seifer threw them off this level." _Selphie replied to their unspoken question.

The blond smirked proudly and arched both eyebrows playfully.

- _"So we have no lead on where to look for Adel?"_ Zell asked.

- _"Nope, none." _replied Irvine.

- _"We do know **one **thing though…" _Seifer said.

_………………_

_A Galbadian soldier is hanging right above the abyss, gaping down, terrified. Seifer is holding him from the collar of his uniform._

_"I TOLD YOU!" the man shrieks "I know **nothing** about where they're keeping Adel, I SWEAR!"_

_"Then I have no reason to keep straining myself…" Seifer says "Why don't I let you go and let you join your buddy down there?"_

_"NO! N-n-no… Wait!"_

_"What for?"___

_"I know **something**!" the man speaks desperately._

_"Oh really?__ What would that be?"_

_"They haven't started the awakening process yet!" the soldier says._

_"And why is that?" Seifer asks, arching an eyebrow. _

_"They've been having trouble with her remaining energy sources!" the man replies quickly "If they awake her in this state, she'll die."_

_"Interesting…" Seifer says "So there won't be an awakening?"_

_"At least not yet!__ Th-they need to find an auxiliary source of energy for her!" the man says._

_"And that's **all** you know?" Seifer asks. _

_The man nods vigorously, while droplets of sweat trickle along his forehead and fall down and into oblivion._

_"Everything I know, honest!" he says._

_"Very well…" Seifer says, nodding._

_"Come on, Seifer." Selphie says "Let him go now."_

_Seifer shrugs._

_"If you say so…"_

_A shrill scream is heard the moment Seifer unclenches his fist and lets go of the man's collar. His yells echo among the walls for a fair few seconds, until they die down completely._

_Silence…_

_Selphie arches an eyebrow._

_"Not quite what I had in mind…" she says, sighing._

_………………_

- _"And that about wraps it up…" _Seifer finishes.

Laguna, Ellone, Kiros and Ward, who had approached the rest of the group during Seifer's narration, seemed troubled, just like everyone else, at the sound of his words.

- _"Well… That's good news then!" _said Zell _"It means we won't have to fight Adel or Ultimecia!"_

- _"Not really…" _Laguna said _"They can always find a back-up energy source if they research long enough. It'll only be a matter of time."_

- _"That's true." _Quistis said _"We have to do something now that we're here, otherwise they'll fulfill their plan anyway, sooner or later."_

- _"Any suggestions?" _Irvine asked.__

His question was greeted with nothing but stone-cold silence.

Rinoa, who had been quiet ever since their arrival at Lunatic Pandora, couldn't help but feel a slight wave of relief overtake her. She may not have to go through the ordeal after all… It was not that she didn't want to help; Hyne knew she'd do everything to help carry out the original plan, but that didn't mean she had to like her post. In fact, the moment it had been announced to her, was the moment she felt the most scared she ever had in her entire life.

Sighing, she tried to pressure her mind along with everyone else, in search of a solution to the most current glitch of their mission.

_Venite__ me, liber…_

She turned to look behind her abruptly. Who had just…?

She noticed that the rest of the group was now engrossed into conversation about the matter at hand. No-one could have spoken to her…

_Venite__ me…_

Swallowing with difficulty, Rinoa tried to convince herself that the voice didn't belong to whom she instantly thought it did **_'Nonononono… No, no… It can't be…'_**

But why not? Why couldn't it be? It was the only logical explanation… She was reaching out for her, speaking to her in her very own ancient language… **Their** ancient language… She was one of them now, she had to finally realize it and make amends with her heritage.

_Venite__ me, liber…_

_Unum fiamus…_

She turned and looked at Squall.

_They need to find an auxiliary source of energy for her…_

She smiled poignantly.

She knew what she had to do now… It was their only choice. Their only hope…

**_'Squall… I'm sorry… But I might have to break our promise…'_**

- _"…I don't understand why we can't just destroy her before she awakens!" _Selphie said _"We can end this right here, right now!"_

- _"We will!" _Squall snapped _"But not this way! Don't you understand that if we kill her now, Ultimecia will still try to find her way through to our world?!"_

- _"I just thought-"_ Selphie mumbled meekly.__

- _"And do you want a hint as to whom she will try to go through?!" _Squall went on _"**Rinoa**, that's who!"_

- _"Rinoa…" _Zell mumbled, eyebrows creasing.__

- _"Yes, Zell! Rinoa! Big surprise!" _Squall hissed at him, running a hand through his hair.__

- _"No, no…" _Zell said, shaking his head in negation _"Rinoa!" _

He pointed towards the elaborate stairway right behind them.

Arching an eyebrow, Squall turned around. He saw Rinoa climbing up the wooden ladder, heading towards the upper level **_'What the…?'_**

- _"Rinoa!" _he called her _"What are you doing? Where are you going?"_

The brunette stopped for a split second to look at him, before continuing her way up, accelerating her pace.

- _"What the hell is she doing?" _Seifer wondered out loud.

- _"OH MY HYNE!"_ shrieked Quistis.

The blonde girl sprang up to her feet, eyes wide open.

- _"Don't you see?!" _she spoke to the others desperately _"The auxiliary energy source! It's **her**! She's going to try to sacrifice herself to Adel for the awakening process!"_

Squall felt the blood freeze within his veins **_'No…_**_ **No, no, no-'**_

- _"NO!"_ he screamed, breaking into a run towards the ladder _"RINOA, **DON'T**!"_

Now many feet above them, Rinoa held onto the wooden ladder and glanced down once again. She saw Squall rushing first to her trail right after he screamed for her, all of her friends following suit behind him. A stray tear ran down her cheeks **_'Hyne, don't do this to me… It's the only way I can help…'_**

She continued to ascend, now more determined.

* * *

Squall stormed down the hallway before him, still struggling to catch up to Rinoa's pace before she did anything foolish… 

His booted feet came to an abrupt halt, the moment he saw her.

Adel's tomb stood before her, colossal and ready to devour her alive. A circular, gleaming golden cage, detaining a monster more heinous than any other that walked this earth; Adel seemed to be of gargantuan size, such that made it incredibly hard to believe she was once human. Just like him, just like Rinoa…

And standing still behind a tick layer of glass, with arms crossed in an 'X' shape, was the monster itself, now sedated and silent. Adel's eyes were closed shut and her senses were so numbed that she gave the impression of not even breathing. Her thick braid of crimson hair went past her waist. Her skin was the color of pale grey, while black, tribal-like markings marred her skin, like divine symbols etched upon her body. Her hands bore no nails and no fingers. No... Those were not human hands… They were **claws**. Much like the ones Edea seemed to possess while under the control of Ultimecia's spirit.

Squall watched in horror as Rinoa kneeled before the morbid confinement and closed her eyes.

* * *

_Unum fiamus, liber…_

Rinoa closed her eyes and kneeled before Adel, still firm upon her decision.

Her hands felt cold, her whole body was trembling with fear, but she had to do this. She was the only one who could.

She didn't know what was going to happen to her now, and to be frank, she preferred to not try and foresee, because she feared that her close future would be too ghastly to imagine.

She would just… give in.

_Tuus__ sum. Postula me…_

Purely out of instinct, she spoke to the elder sorceress in their own language, hoping she would understand.

Adel's eyes snapped open.

By the sinister look in her gaze, she had understood perfectly…

* * *

- _"RINOA!" _Squall screamed and made a move to approach her. 

He felt the weight of someone falling heavy upon his back, pinning him down to the floor head-first. He felt his arm being twisted behind his back, and a pair of legs hooking upon his own, rendering him motionless.

He raised his head up from the floor in a struggle.

- _"You can't do anything now… It's too late…"_

Squall gritted his teeth.

- _"Let me go, Almasy… NOW." _he growled, trying to break free.

But to no avail. Seifer knew all too well what he was doing when he grabbed hold of him.

The brown-haired boy continued to squirm, but suddenly froze in place.

Adel's tomb was almost magically sliding towards Rinoa. The sorceress within began to awaken, uncrossing her arms, as if stretching after a long period of slumber. Amber strings that had been keeping the tomb in place lit up in heat and began to elongate as the tomb moved. Soon, they could not stand the pressure and broke, interrupting the heated silence of the room with sharp, ringing sounds like the tune of a glissando.

- _"Let go, dammit!" _Squall hissed _"She'll kill Rinoa if we don't do something **now**!"_

- _"If you try to help her now, she'll devour you with her!" _Seifer snarled back at him _"And we fucking need you if we want to help Rinoa after she possesses her!"_

- _"She's not going to possess her, you fucker! SHE IS GOING TO **SLAUGHTER** HER!"_

A smirk crossed Adel's lips and her lips parted in a hiss. Her face inched closer to the glass layer of her prison, which began to liquefy. The sorceress pressed her body against the glass that had now turned to gelatin, trying to break free.

- _"LET GO, DAMN YOU! DO YOU WANT TO SEE RINOA **DIE**?!" _Squall screamed at Seifer, trying to kick his way out of the blond man's lock.

- _"I DON'T WANT TO SEE **YOU** DIE, YOU IDIOT!"_ Seifer screamed back _"WE'LL FUCKING SAVE RINOA, I SWEAR! DO YOU THINK I'D LET HER DIE YOU FUCKING __MORON_

Adel plunged a clawed hand into the gelatinous layer before her, stretching it. She pushed harder and harder, her arm now covered in gelatin that still wouldn't break. She gave one final thrust and the transparent layer was torn. She was free…

Squall momentarily stopped struggling and even felt Seifer's grip loosen, while both men stared wide-eyed as Adel slipped out of her confinement. Rinoa's eyes snapped open only then, fear-stricken, as she saw the bestial creature lunge at her. Time stopped for the young brunette just then, when Adel magically turned almost transparent, like a gruesome phantom. Adel's ghostly form collided with Rinoa's chest and for a second, it seemed as if she'd turned into a transparent mass, engulfing the miniscule girl. Rinoa didn't have time to even utter a scream, as she passed out when Adel took over her.

Still in translucent form, Adel rose to full height, Rinoa's body hanging lifelessly within her hollow chest, as if suspended from invisible strings. The sorceress closed her eyes and extended her arms, letting out a long-dragged sigh. Her specter-like body suddenly began to become solid, as if cell by cell returned to her body in fast forward. When she opened her eyes again, the part of Rinoa's body that remained visible was the one above her waist.

They had **merged** into one.

Rinoa's arms seemed embedded upon Adel's collar bones, while her head and torso jutted out from Adel's chest. She seemed like a lifeless Messiah, hanging from her cross of torment, waiting for the final judgment to come and tear her apart.

Squall and Seifer's faces screwed into undecipherable expressions of mixed terror and disgust. Before their very eyes stood a grotesque ensemble, of what was only a few minutes ago their friend and companion, and an already misshapen creature. A walking, breathing, abomination of nature…

Seifer slowly rose to his feet, helping Squall up as well. Neither of them had realized that the rest of their peers had been standing behind them for a very long time, also witnesses of a sight that would probably haunt their minds till the end of time.

The tall blond made a move to draw out Hyperion and advance on the Sorceress, but didn't even have time to blink. Squall wheeled around and raised his clenched fist, laying a hard punch on Seifer's nose. Had that blow been targeted at his mouth, stray teeth would be flying all over the place right about now… Seifer was shoved backwards and fell onto the floor with a loud thud, passing out. Quistis and Selphie immediately rushed to his aid, pulling him aside. Neither of them, not even Quistis, dared to say anything right now; Squall's anger had reached its zenith.

Meanwhile, Squall had drawn out Lionheart, which was glowing furiously. He cast a cold glare upon Irvine and Zell who had run up to him.

- _"You keep healing Rinoa. **I'll** deal with Adel…" _he growled at them.

The young Commander wasn't willing to give the sorceress the slightest modicum of time; he'd take on her and destroy her before she'd even have time to draw another breath.

He broke into a run, heading straight for her, holding his gunblade in battle position. It looked as if a golden aura was surrounding the legendary weapon, fueling it with pulsating energy.

Adel turned and faced Squall, a wicked smirk on her face. She narrowed her eyes at him and seemed to prepare a spell within her clawed fingers, but Squall was too fast for her… Letting out a loud cry, the gunblade master swung his weapon, cutting through flesh and bone with ferocity. Adel let out a scream as her hand got detached from the wrist and landed into a bloody pool on the floor. She hissed at him feline-like and brought her other arm forward, in the same movement she had performed when she'd reached out for Rinoa. Squall lost not time and plunged the tip of Lionheart against her inner palm, then shoved it with might, causing it to plummet within her arm completely.

Adel's cries of pain echoed deafeningly within the confined room, but Squall seemed to be the only one completely unfazed. His fury had clouded his thoughts, his senses, even his vision. He felt as if he was battling her wearing a blindfold, guided by nothing but pure warrior's instinct. He pulled the blade of Lionheart back out, causing it to let out a boil-disturbing sound as it gritted against bone and flesh once again. The azure color of the crystal-like blade was marred with thick, crimson blood, but it didn't seem to distract him the slightest bit.

He took a step back and looked up at Adel's face, now drowned in agony and pain, feeling nothing but pure hatred for her. Among the flurry of curative spells that kept hitting Rinoa, cast from his two peers behind him, he didn't even allow his mind to strategize his next move; all he wanted to do was cause Adel pain. Pain as great as the one she'd caused him… Swinging his blade again, he began to bring it down upon her body in breakneck speed. Plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge…

The moment he regained clarity of his vision, Adel was nothing but a mutilated corpse, the only recognizable space of her body being the one that imprisoned Rinoa. Squall raised his Lionheart up once more and brought it down right underneath Rinoa's left arm, where Adel's stone of a heart resided. His blade pierced through her most vital of organs, fueled by pure loathing for her very essence.

It was the final blow for the sorceress… Squall could see it in her eyes. The fear, the agony, the last hint of life, desperately trying to cling on to something… **anything**…

Her monstrous form fell to the ground.

Face still marred by an austere expression, Squall approached her, placing a booted foot upon her slowly arching chest. The most atrocious sorceress Gaia had ever seen up till their time, was drawing her final breaths, under his feet.

Her severed limbs barely trembling, her face barely recognizable among deep cuts of his ever-so-sharp blade…

He couldn't suppress a smirk of gratification…

But all of a sudden… Adel's chest began arching up and down faster as she tried to breathe…

Squall creased his forehead **_'How can this be…? She's dying… It's inevitable…'_**

He froze on spot.

Rinoa on the other hand, seemed to be getting paler with each passing second… Adel was drawing energy from her to hold on to life…

- _"NO!" _Squall screamed _Irvine__, Zell, quick! Cast more Curagas! Adel is draining Rinoa away to survive!"_

The two young men lost no single second to rush to Rinoa's side, but it appeared that it was too late…

Rinoa's eyes half-opened for a split second, a sallow breath escaped her lips and her irises rolled up…

Squall's eyes shone, as a tear fell down his cheek rapidly. Gritting his teeth, he raised his Lionheart and brought it down Adel's neck.

Her head rolled away…

The sorceress had finally passed away, but at what price?

His gunblade still in the air, and Squall brought it down, slashing a thin layer of Adel's skin, right below Rinoa's waist. He swung it up again and slashed twice above the skin covering Rinoa's wrists. He threw his weapon aside and pulled the girl's lifeless form out of Adel's body.

Rinoa's head hung lifeless as he held her into his arms, her clothes soaked in Adel's blood and juices.

Squall touched her frozen cheek with one gloved palm, shaking his head like mad, not wanting to believe his own eyes.

Right behind them, Seifer began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, greeted with the sight of Squall, holding Rinoa, both dyed in deep red from head to toe…

- _"What… What happened…?" _he managed to croak out.

Quistis got up determinedly.

- _"Selphie, take care of Seifer…" _she addressed the younger girl and rushed towards Squall's side.

**_'SeeD manual, Chapter 5, Section 7…' _**

_The human brain will remain alive for twelve minutes after a person 'flat-lines'. _

_It is only during that period of time, that a __Phoenix__ Down potion can and should be used._

Squall had already given her a Phoenix Down… She had fluttered her eyes open, but she was too drained… She closed them shut again…

_A cocktail of curative spells and potions should be immediately used._

_Curagas and Elixirs should only be preferred under extreme circumstances, but even then, they only provide a rush through the person's system and he/she can only recuperate fully after a period of rest._

_**'SeeD Manual, Chapter 8, Section 2…'**_

****

_Limit Breaks may sometimes be fuelled by strong emotions, rather than extreme exhaustion. _

_It is a rare phenomenon, but the attack proves more effective than the more regular one._

_**'Concentrate, Quistis… Concentrate…'**_

****

****

The blonde girl ran, feeling a warm blue aura beginning to engulf her… Her Blue Magic…

She stopped before Squall and Rinoa, extending her arm towards the fallen girl.

- _"WHITE WIND!"_

Squall was shoved back from the force that engulfed Rinoa's form. The brunette snapped her eyes open and drew a sharp breath. The strong spell that had escaped Quistis's hand was revitalizing her more and more with each passing second; she could feel her so far fading strength returning to her rapidly… Squall crawled over to her, placing his palm under her head, still completely bewildered by what had just happened. Rinoa rolled her eyes towards Squall, a warm, weary smile crossing her lips.

- _"You came…" _she whispered, slipping one of her palms into Squall's.

Squall let out a breath of disbelief, tightening the grip of their hand-holding, just as the her eyes turned red…

Wasting no more time, Laguna brought Ellone forward.

- _"Ellone, now's your chance!"_ he cried.

The girl concentrated hard, using her powers on Rinoa, causing the girl to faint. Squall waited patiently, still holding her hand.

- _"OK, Ellone." _said Laguna _"Just get Rinoa back."_

Using her power once more, Ellone brought Rinoa back in conscience. The younger girl looked around her bewildered, before her gaze locked upon Squall once again.

- _"I… was inside Adel… The young Adel…" _she whispered at him faintly.

Quistis looked at the sight from behind, smiling, breathing heavily. She'd made it; she'd given Rinoa enough strength to make it through this… But her own was abandoning her… She had transferred it all to her spell… She needed some rest right now… Yes… Rest… She would love to rest right now…

The young Instructor's eyes shut and she fell onto the floor in exhaustion.

Seifer jumped up to his feet, startled.

- _"Quistis!" _he cried, making a run for her.

Too late…

Time Compression had just initiated…

The room began to liquefy around them, slowly melt away, as time, past, present and future became one. And they were all slipping away, plunging to the bottom of the steadily disintegrating floor…

Seifer's eyes widened.

Quistis wouldn't make it within Time Compression unconscious… She needed her mind to be clear and think of the place she wanted to be, of the people she wanted to be with, otherwise, she'd be lost in the tides of time forever…

Seifer dove onto the floor and extended one arm to catch her.

Quistis's limp body was magically sponged into the molten floor, as was his.

He made one ultimate attempt, his palm closing around her wrist.

Her hand slipped away…

- _"Quistis, NOOOO!"_

* * *

**A/N: **Aaaaaand that's it for today, folks! Check out my live journal for some needed comments on this (especially the whole Silicon matter) and a translation of the Latin used in this chappy. 

Adios!****

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_Time Compression…_


	40. Chapter 39: Time Compression

**A/N:** Hey everyone…

Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but I've started to revise for my upcoming exams (in less than two weeks time) so my writing hours have been severely limited.

On a happier note, I fucked my foot up royally…

Word of advice kids: Do **NOT** agree to ride on someone's bike unless you're absolutely sure of their driving skills. Even if that someone is a friend…

This chapter is dedicated to **PRODIGIOUS TECHIE**, my most recent reviewer, who actually sat and reviewed for each and every chapter from the very beginning until he/she caught up (btw, check out my journal, URL to which can be found in my profile, cause I have a small section dedicated to you in my entry, explaining a few things ). Really tripped me out… xx And of course, shout-outs to ALL of you who have been so kind as to support this fic so far! Crystal loves ya all!!!

Oh and a small request to the reviewer who happens to come from my country (Krystallo): check out my LJ (live journal). The URL's in the profile. I have a few words to say to ya

Enjoy!

**__**

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ After dealing with Adel, our heroes come face to face with an even worse enemy: the tides of time, compressing into past, present and future into one._

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 39: Time Compression**

* * *

Quistis looked at the sight from behind, smiling, breathing heavily. She'd made it; she'd given Rinoa enough strength to make it through this… But her own was abandoning her… She had transferred it all to her spell… She needed some rest right now… Yes… Rest… She would love to rest right now…

The young Instructor's eyes shut and she fell onto the floor in exhaustion.

Seifer jumped up to his feet, startled.

- _"Quistis!" _he cried, making a run for her.

Too late…

Time Compression had just initiated…

The room began to liquefy around them, slowly melt away, as time, past, present and future became one. And they were all slipping away, plunging to the bottom of the steadily disintegrating floor…

Seifer's eyes widened.

Quistis wouldn't make it within Time Compression unconscious… She needed her mind to be clear and think of the place she wanted to be, of the people she wanted to be with, otherwise, she'd be lost in the tides of time forever…

Seifer dove onto the floor and extended one arm to catch her.

Quistis's limp body was magically sponged into the molten floor, as was his.

He made one ultimate attempt, his palm closing around her wrist.

Her hand slipped away…

- _"Quistis, NOOOO!"_

His scream was muffled when his mouth got filled with water. They were floating inside an ocean with no visible end or beginning, as if it always existed there, but had only now appeared.

He saw her, many feet below him, sinking into the dark waters below, slowly getting frailer and frailer, as if dissolving into nothing. He opened his mouth to call her, but almost no sound came out. He watched as the bubbles that held his voice captive descended up and soon disappeared.

**_'There's a surface above…'_**

Determinedly, he dove down and struggled to swim to her with all the strength he could muster. She had stopped moving and was now lying to the bottom of the sea, pale, motionless. Clenching his teeth, he swam harder. He was almost out of breath; he could sense his mind becoming number with each passing second, but he'd die before he gave up on her. He managed to reach the bottom of the sea and swiftly, slid his right hand underneath her right armpit and grabbed her shoulder with his palm, securing it against her chest. He stomped his foot hard on the sand below, giving him boost to go up quicker. He moved his legs frantically and did what he could to aid with his free hand. There was no light above them, but he had to keep trying.

There had to be a surface up there… There just **had** to…

He was in dire need of oxygen; he could feel it in his every cell that was slowly, but steadily shutting down, refusing to work with him. His head spun like crazy and the weight of Quistis and his wet clothes was beginning to become a real burden. But then, the darkness began to get thinner above him. A tiny flicker of light was visible for a few seconds, but disappeared again, just as suddenly as it had appeared. Water was flooding into his lungs like a waterfall, but he couldn't stop now. He wouldn't. His brain felt waterlogged, his muscles almost refused to help him…

And then his head tore through the surface.

With a loud gasp, he struggled for air. Wonderful, clear air that was whipping hard against his cold face, making it sting, but he swallowed it down with greed, within chokes and coughs from the gallons of salty water that had entered his system. Panting, he made sure Quistis's head stayed above the water.

Rain was falling hard on them; there was a storm outside. Sinister, ominous clouds filled the sky, making it so dark as if light had never existed before. Thunders were roaring above them; the flicker of light he'd seen before. Tall waves were sweeping the surface mercilessly, crushing against the rocky shell of the mountain slopes before them. Squinting, Seifer made out a dim light in the horizon. It got stronger and stronger, as if approaching them, only seconds before becoming thinner again…

He began to swim towards it, holding Quistis with one arm. The light got closer again and then moved away from them once more. Struggling to swim properly, among waves of freezing water that threatened to tear them apart, he made out the outline of a white structure.

**_'Could it be…? The lighthouse?!'_**

Just as the light of hope ignited within him, it became extinguished again, when he barely had time to see that gigantic wave that covered them both.

Instinctively, he wrapped his arm tight around Quistis, as air was swept away from him again and he found himself shoved into the seabed once more. The wave carried them along its trail and all Seifer could do was wait, before he could regain control of his body again.

His side made contact with something soft, and he was slightly plunged within it, right before the water withdrew and he was allowed to breathe again. Opening his eyes with difficulty, among the rivulets of seawater and heavy raindrops that trickled down his face, he realized they'd been stranded to a beach by the course of the wave.

But he knew that beach all too well…

They had reached the orphanage. There was still hope for them…

But they were alone, and Quistis was still not moving… or breathing…

Seifer pulled her out of the water and onto the wet sand, frantically searching within the depths of his mind for a way to bring her back to life. Quickly, he unzipped her vest, removing it. He wrapped it into a small pillow and put it right beneath her neck, making her throat arch up **_'OK, OK… First aid class…' _**Seifer thought, clenching his fists and shutting his eyes **_'Concentrate… You can do this… You MUST do this…'_**

He grabbed her wrist and pressed his index and middle fingers where the vein was. Panting, he waited eagerly for any sign of a pulse. Panic overtook him as he felt nothing.

Leaning down, he closed her nostrils with two fingers, pulling her chin down with his other hand and pressed his lips around hers. He breathed in twice, then quickly sprang up and traced her diaphragm under her front chest bone. Hee pressed hard and rhythmically five times, then stopped; Quistis didn't stir.

- _"Come on, Quistis!" _he said desperately, leaning down again.

He repeated the procedure. Again nothing. Clenching his teeth, he took in sharp breaths and tried again.

Two breaths, five pumps. Still unconscious.

- _"You will **not** die on me, Quistis Trepe!"_ he shouted, tears welling up in his eyes.

He went through the procedure again, pumping harder on her chest. Still not a single breath.

- _"Quistis **no**! Don't give up!" _he yelled, voice slightly wavering.

He wiped his eyes with the cold, wet sleeve of his coat and for the fifth time, tried to make Quistis breathe again.

To no avail.

Thick rivulets of tears ran down his face and his loud sobs drowned within the deafening roars of the thunders above. The scene may as well have been taken out by one of his worst nightmares, or a sleazy b-movie in which the thunders above were meant to symbolize the wrath hidden underneath his grief. But, no, this was very much **real**. Funny, and disturbing, how a moment he'd ridicule with ease in said type of movies now barged within his life, tearing him apart.

He presumed it was just another golden opportunity for Hyne to show off his abhorrent sense of 'humor'.

Seifer looked down upon Quistis's beautiful, but rigid and lifeless face. She didn't even seem to be at peace; not even now. She just wouldn't accept the way fate had turned the tables for her and she lay before him, morbid, rigid. But then again, neither would he… He fell down on her chest and cried like he never had before in his life.

'Emotion is for the weak' he always used to repeat to himself, which was one of the very few links he shared with his –albeit peer- ultimate rival. Neither ever allowed their feelings to conquer them and chose a different façade to present to the world each. He had, erroneously, chosen one where he drowned his own sorrow by lashing out on others. Only once, had he allowed himself to break down in front of another, but it had been a moment shared only between them and would always be kept as such.

And now, as destiny would have it, another such moment had presented itself in front of him…

He would never see her blue eyes sparkle again, he'd never hear her laugh, he'd never hold her close to him at nights…

- _"Quistis…" _he whimpered_ "No… I… I… I l-l-l…" _A sob choked his voice into incoherence.__

His heart ached as if being stabbed by a thousand knives, his chest felt hollow, his mind was blank… This just couldn't be happening. They had come too far together to part like this, so abruptly. There was still so much he wanted to share, talk to her about. Even with the ever-present dangers their lifestyle and occupation came with, he had always been certain they had all the time in the world ahead of them. But it was too late now… She was gone and he hadn't even said goodbye…

All he could do, was rest upon her, body quivering from stifled wails.

- _"No." _he said suddenly, pushing himself up from her chest. Tears were still streaming down his eyes, but his sobs had subsidized _"NO." _he said louder. He placed his arms right upon her diaphragm, beginning to pump harder as he screamed **_I._****_ WON'T. LET. YOU. GO!!!_**

He leaned down again and breathed into her mouth fiercely.

His eyes snapped open; his mouth got filled with water.

He pulled up abruptly, watching Quistis choke. He held her head up, as she coughed up salty water, a wide smile appearing on his face. He had done it; she was there, she was alive again, she was breathing. Gasping and wheezing, Quistis glanced at him through half open eyes.

- _"Seifff…" _she mumbled, before falling unconscious again.

Seifer wrapped his arms tightly around her, as he laughed. And wept. And thanked Hyne inwardly. And kissed her cold, damp forehead.

**_'We'll make it, Quistis… I won't lose you again… We'll be OK…'_**

The thunders kept crackling louder in the sky above them. Seifer looked up, rain still pouring upon them and he closed his eyes for a second. When he re-opened them, his hazy glance fell upon a dark, gigantic structure that stood afar. He wiped the beads of water away from his forehead and eyelashes, as he tried to make it out.

**_'A… castle?'_**

Thunderbolts hit its surface, lighting it up for mere seconds, before it plunged within the darkness again.

Seifer tried to get up, only to realize that his feet were slowly being swallowed by the sand below them and the scenery was beginning to dissolve again.

**_'Time Compression…'_**

He held Quistis tightly against his chest and closed his eyes, remembering Laguna's words.

_Imagine being in that place with all your friends…_

_Once time compression begins, think of that place and try to get there…_

_That place will welcome you. You'll be able to get there no matter what period you're in…_

_**'But…' **_Seifer thought **_'This is where I want to be… But no-one's here… Where is everyone? Did they… move ahead? …Without us…?'_**

Time became unsteady once again and Seifer closed his eyes, allowing it to swallow them once more.

He could feel they were spinning around aimlessly, slipping more and more away and into……….. oblivion?

He could feel his body growing heavy, the darkness consuming them, the pressure within his head getting stronger, a myriad of scattered sounds filling his ears-

Silence.

And then, the sound of wind. And the warmth of the ground underneath him.

He slid his eyes open. He rolled off his back, still holding on to Quistis, as rogue sand particles were coming on to them from every direction.

He sheltered his eyes with one palm, squinting.

Innumerable dunes stood tall around them.

Sand… Just an endless, vast area of nothing but sand… As far as the eye could reach…

* * *

A desert is said to be one of the most cruel, vicious types of environment to inhabit. During the day, scorching sun can burn your every cell to the core, the heat radiating from the sand can make your feet feel as if on fire, the sweat that runs wild in steaming rivulets drains your body from its last hints of juices and the random sandstorms can blow you away and bury you under a dune with ease. But during the night, the temperature drops dramatically to degrees below zero and if the sandstorms dwell, it would take a great deal of navigational skills not to get lost.

Seifer Almasy always knew this kind of trivia as mere facts. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, had he imagined he'd be brought to face such a situation.

Until now.

He wasn't aware of how much time had passed since he'd first begun walking. Could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days… All he knew was that he felt he'd stretched himself beyond his limits. His skin was dangerously red and glistening with sweat, his lips were dry, the sand was whipping against his bare arms, his vision was growing hazy and he sensed he was about to collapse under the weight of Quistis, who was secured from the storm under his trench coat, lying numb onto his arms.

The last hint of orientation skill drowned within the vastness of the desert and the chaos of the sandstorm and he was left all alone, wandering aimlessly. His face was blank, expressionless and his moves mechanical. He couldn't cry, he couldn't scream over the possible loss of Quistis and the final ounce of hope that he'd bring them both over to safety had vanished. All he could do, was keep walking.

Until he wouldn't be able to walk anymore…

**_'Quistis… I'm sorry… I couldn't find everyone… We won't see them again… We're… alone…'_**

Eventually succumbing into the vertigo brought by the merciless sun and dehydration, he fell to his knees. He wobbled unsteadily in position for a few seconds. He barely heard the faint cries from afar and saw three blurs of yellow, blue and brown. He squinted, just as the storm began to settle down and he made out the dark shadow of a space ship behind the blurs.

- _"…Ragnarok…?"_ he whispered, as if not believing their sheer luck.

The cries were getting louder now. He could almost recognize to whom the voices belonged.

**_'Aha…We're saved…' _**he thought, before passing out cold, arms still wrapped around the girl protectively…

* * *

**_'Head… spinning…'_**

****

**_'Fuckin' cold…'_**

****

**_'Lips… dry…'_**

****

**_'Eyelids… burning…'_**

****

**_'Water… Oh Hyne, yes… Some water… I'd fuckin' KILL for a sip of water…'_**

****

**_'Quistis… Where the hell is Quistis?!'_**

****

**_'She's not… She's not……………gone?'_**

****

**_'No… dammit… no…'_**

****

**_'She… She… can't… not now…not…'_**

- _"…Qui…stis……The… The storm…Don't go… We're g… g-gonna get there…I promise…I'll…I'll…"_

He slid his eyes open. He couldn't see well… He could see nothing but a blur above him…

A black blur… And a sky blue one… And another, a deep blue one…

- _"He's hallucinating."_

- _"He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it over."_

Voices. All familiar ones. But he couldn't make them out… He was too tired to think…

- _"…Quisss…tis…" _Seifer croaked out again.__

- _"Shh…"_ A hand on his forehead, stroking his hair _"She's fine."_ A gentle voice. A woman _"You just sleep now, OK?"_ He coughed faintly.__

- _"…Need…water…" _he said faintly.__

- _"Give him this, too."_

He felt a soft palm slide underneath his nape, aiding his head up. His lips parted and something was forced inside his mouth. Felt like a pill… Then his parched lips made contact with a plastic surface. It made them ache. The refreshing sense of water reached his tongue. He'd never before appreciated its remarkable taste… But that fucking pill was bitter like hell… Trickles of moist dribbled from the corners of his lips down his neck and to his chest. He coughed up and the water was taken away. He was helped to lie back down and he closed his eyes, as a piece of cloth wiped his mouth.

- _"What was in that black thing?"_

- _"My grandpa's old remedy. He used to be a ninja. Contains parts of a lizard, worm and… salamander, I think."_

- _"........................You're kidding…right?"_

- _"Nope."_

- _".........You're not just taking this opportunity to poison him, are you?"_

- _"Don't be ridiculous. I gave it to Quistis earlier as well… It'll help them regain their strength fast, guaranteed."_

_**'Lizard.**** And worm. And salamander………… Fuck, now I'm hearing things, too…'** _Seifer thought.

He pulled the covers up, shivering.

- _"……C-c-cold…" _he muttered.

The covers reached up to his chin. His eyes, even when closed, stung terribly. A damp towel was pressed against his forehead.

- _"Get some sleep, __Seifer__OK__? Everything will be alright…" _That soft voice again.

- _"OK…" _he mumbled.

He swallowed with difficulty and gathered the fabric of the covers within his balled fists. He exhaled audibly and tried to relax…

**_'Everything will be alright… Yeah, it will…'_**

****

**_'Sleep… Yes, sleep…'_**

And so he did.

* * *

_Little Quisty was sitting in the middle of an empty room, hugging her knees, crying._

_"I wanna go hoooome…" she whimpered._

_"Aw, come on… Don't cry… You can play with me, you'll feel better."_

_Quisty looked up and saw a giant lizard standing above her, grinning at her goofily. The blonde girl shrieked and crawled away from it. She almost slipped trying to get up on her feet, then ran towards the opposite direction. She cast one last glance at the giant lizard and turned around her, when…_

_"You don't wanna play with us?"_

_"YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"__ Quisty shrieked again._

_She wheeled around and began running away from the giant worm, which wore a black bow tie and a tall black hat, eyes snapped wide and terrified._

_After a while, she stopped, palms on her knees, gasping for breath. She looked around her for any sign of the blown-up lizard and worm, until a finger tapped on her shoulder, making her jump up startled._

_"Hey, it's OK. It's me."_

_She turned around, only to come face to face with little Seifer, smiling at her. He offered her his tiny palm, which she took, a wave of relief overtaking her._

_"I know those guys." Seifer said "They're my friends. Wanna go play with them?"_

_"No… They're scary…" Quisty complained._

_"Nah… They're OK if you get to know them… Come on." Seifer said, and pulled her back._

_"Mr. Lizard!" called Seifer "I'm bringing my friend Quisty over!"_

_"Whoo-hoo!" exclaimed Mr. Salamander "Now we can all play together! Do the chocobo dance!"_

_"Yeah!__ Do-the-chocobo! Do-the-chocobo!" cheered Mr. Worm, waving his hat around._

_And they all joined hands and began doing the chocobo dance merrily…_

…………

Seifer's eyes snapped open.

He rested his weight on his elbows, eyes rolling around the room in bewilderment. He shook his head in disbelief **_'Second sign that I need to fucking stop smoking Ghysahl Greens…'_**

He rubbed his sore forehead, grunting. His eyes stung a bit. He re-opened them, looking around him lazily.

**_'What the…? Where the hell am I?'_**

This room looked hauntingly familiar. Not a Garden room; this one was metal on the inside and aside from the door, only had one cot inside and a small metal cabinet.

**_'………Ragnarok…? But……but how?'_**

Still rubbing his forehead, his gaze fell upon the side of the cot not occupied by him. He found Quistis, hugging her pillow, curled into a fetal position, sleeping peacefully. After the initial shock of waking up next to her, a smile crept upon his lips, wide and warm. He sank back down and under the covers, wrapping his arms around her waist. He sensed her relaxing under his embrace and, slowly, her body 'unfolded' and rested calm within his arms. Even her breathing seemed to become smoother.

He ran a hand through her loose hair and kissed her forehead softly. His hands caressed her… bare? back… He frowned **_'Bare?'_** Lifting up the covers a bit, he realized she wore no clothes underneath, but then again, so did he. He sat up on the cot again. None of this made sense… First, he was hearing voices in his sleep, then Mr. Lizard, Mr. Salamander and Mr. Worm visit him in a wacky dream, and then he wakes up next to Quistis, both nude, inside one of Ragnarok's rooms. He rubbed the back of his hair **_'What the hell…?'_**

He looked around the room for any sign of clothing, quite glad and relieved to find his own hanging from a pair of small hooks next to the sliding door. Quistis's were there as well. Slowly getting up from the cot, so as not to wake her up, he approached the door. With every second step he felt his head spinning the slightest bit, making him trip. Shaking his head, he grabbed his clothes and robed himself, right before exiting the room, grabbing his boots on his way out.

Seifer leaned against the door and slipped his shoes on, seeing various people, clad in SeeD uniforms wandering about.

A pair of girls which he vaguely recognized stopped before him and saluted him.

- _"Good morning Commander Almasy, sir!" _they said in unison.

- _"Morning…" _mumbled Seifer.

- _"Glad to see you up and about, sir!" _said one of them, smiling _"Have a nice day!"_

Seifer watched the two girls walk down the corridor and soon disappear from sight. Arching an eyebrow in question, he began to make his way towards the cockpit. He could sense they were flying; his stomach had alerted him so the moment he'd gotten up from bed. Taking each step in failed attempts to conceal his apprehension, he suddenly wondered if it was being piloted by a certain hyper peer of his…

He reached the small lift leading up to the cockpit and pressed the button for the shaft to lower down.

- _"Almasy."_

Seifer creased both brows **_'Xu…?'_** He turned around.

- _"Long time no see… Commander." _said Xu, clad in her deep blue uniform, a seemingly forced smile plastered upon her face.

- _"Xu…" _Seifer said, doing nothing to conceal dislike and slight surprise from his voice _"Not exactly the person I wanted to talk to, but at least you'll explain to me what the fuck's going on around here… Who the hell are all those SeeDs roaming around here? And why are we in the frickin' Ragnarok?"_

- _"Nice to see you, too…" _Xu sneered, crossing her arms _"How's Quistis?"_

- _"She's sleeping." _Seifer replied _"And I believe I asked you a question?"_

- _"Two." _replied Xu _"Answers to both of which are slightly long stories…"_

- _"That's OK," _Seifer said, leaning against the wall behind him _"I've got **loads** of free time."_ Xu sighed.

- _"After Time Compression commenced, many of us were suddenly brought here." _she began narrating _"Not much time passed before Squall and the others found us. He explained to me what the deal was with Sorceress Ultimecia, and that she plans to fully compress time shortly. We've been searching for her castle through the Ragnarok ever since."_

- _"And how did you find…" _Seifer hesitated _"Us?"_

- _"Ah, yes…" _said Xu, obviously not at all pleased that this issue had come up _"Well you see, after my short conversation with Squall and everyone else, I came to realize that two people were missing… Well…Actually, I realized **one** person was missing, only to be informed that she and you come as a 'package' as of lately."_

Seifer couldn't help but let out a wide smirk at Xu's expression of great displease.

- _"Indeed…" _he said.

- _"**Anyway**…" _Xu went on, letting out a sigh _"It wasn't long before you **magically** appeared out of the blue, carrying her and collapsed right before Rinoa, Selphie and __Irvine__ reached you."_

- _"Magically?" _Seifer said, cocking an eyebrow.

- _"Yes. Selphie had been on the cockpit with Rinoa and __Irvine__ and suddenly saw you two from afar." _replied Xu _"Just like that. Rinoa believes that the only way you could have found us, is if you had been thinking about us."_

Seifer frowned, falling in deep through for a few seconds, right as the lift behind him got called and a crate came down.

_'Quistis… I'm sorry… I couldn't find everyone… We won't see them again… We're… alone…'_

He looked back up at Xu, while a SeeD walked behind him and picked up the crate.

- _"Maybe…" _he said _"So… That's all?"_

- _"Pretty much." _replied Xu _"After we picked you up, we took off in search of Ultimecia's whereabouts. And we took care of you. Quistis was simply exhausted a tremendous lot, but she'll be fine soon. And you suffered from a slight case of sunstroke."_

- _"Right…" _Seifer said, nodding _"Where's everyone?"_

- _"Rinoa, Irvine and Squall are in the deck below with me, checking our supplies." _Xu replied _"Zell is doing something else in the cockpit above, and Selphie is guiding some SeeDs how to pilot."_

Seifer's stomach did a noteworthy lurch right then.

- _"…Right…" _he mumbled.

- _"Anyway, I'll be off now… Commander." _Xu said, turning her heel, heading towards the lower deck.

Seifer made a move to step upon the lift, when he turned around again.

- _"Xu?"_ he called.__

- _"Yes?" _said the girl, turning around.__

- _"Ummm…" _Seifer began, rubbing the back of his hair _"This might just be me talking crazy, but… While I was out… There wasn't anyone talking about… salamanders… above me, was there?"_ he asked.__

Xu didn't reply, merely grinned, a grin very close to one of Seifer's right after he'd managed to piss yet another person.

Seifer's eyes glistened dangerously. He clenched his teeth.

- _"You **didn't**…" _Seifer growled at her.

- _"Didn't I?" _Xu quipped at him.

She wheeled around again and disappeared behind the doors.

- _"FUCKING CRAZY **BITCH**!" _he yelled at the doors, punching the wall behind him, before stepping upon the small lift.

He rubbed his stomach uneasily, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

* * *

The small lift reached the top deck and Seifer pushed the double doors before him.

Immediately, many heads turned towards his direction, including those of Zell and Selphie.

- _"Heeeeey!"_ Selphie squealed, springing up from the seat she'd been slouched upon _"You're up!"_

Zell, who was walking across the room moving some crates along with other SeeDs, grinned the slightest bit and nodded at him.

- _"Hey man…" _he said, and continued with his work.

- _"Hi…" _Seifer mumbled, waling towards Selphie _"I just woke up and came up to find you guys."_

- _"How's Quisty?" _Selphie asked.

- _"She's fine. Sleeping." _Seifer replied, slipping his hands into his pockets _"What are you all doing here?"_

- _"Zell over there is helping some people move the crates down to the deck below," _Selphie explained _"And I'm teaching those kids over there how to pilot the Ragny." _

Ignoring Selphie's tendency to give practically every living or not thing a 'cute' nickname, Seifer turned towards the direction she'd pointed, where a couple of SeeDs where sitting behind the controls, steering the airship. And quite skillfully, Seifer noticed. But then again, Selphie was sitting a few feet away from them, completely engrossed in a book. Which would explain their quite good piloting skills… __

- _"What are you reading?" _Seifer asked Selphie.

Selphie put a hand up to silence him, ignored him for a few seconds, then looked up at him.

- _"Yeah, what?" _she asked.

- _"What's that you're reading?" _Seifer repeated, leaning down just a bit, trying to make out the title of the book.

- _"Harlequin…" _Zell mumbled, as he passed by them, carrying around a crate.

- _"It's **soooo** not a harlequin!"_ Selphie protested _"It's called: 'The __Mansion__ of __Lust__' and-"_

- _"The __Mansion__ of __Lust_Seifer snorted, bursting out laughing _"That practically **screams** harlequin from miles away! Hell no… It screams **porno** from miles away!!"_

- _"Say what you will, but I'll have you know," _Selphie began, matter-of-factly _"That this book narrates the tales of a politician, Secretary of Internal Affairs, called Luke Walton."_

- _"It **is**, after all, a known fact that the lives of politicians are extremely interesting…" _Zell commented, passing by again to grab another crate.

- _"It's an interesting book!" _Selphie protested.

- _"Cause there's **porn** in it…" _Seifer said, grinning broadly.

- _"It's not **porn**!" _Selphie insisted _"The love scenes are actually **very** tastefully written!"_

- _"So…" _said Seifer, crossing his arms, apparently terribly amused by the situation _"Who's Mr. Walton's love interest in that particular chapter?"_

- _"Oooh, here he meets this mysterious woman, Cassie Petra, who's a bodyguard and is his 'date' for the night, to protect him because Luke senses there's a conspiracy held behind his back! It all happens in this charity ball he organizes in his Mansion!" _Selphie explained, voice full of excitement.

- _"Ahh… Hence, 'The __Mansion__ of __Lust_Seifer said, in a mock-mystified voice.

- _"I've got a feeling he's falling in love with her, though." _Selphie said, giggling.

- _"Who the hell writes this crap anyway?" _Seifer asked.

- _"Probably a woman…" _Zell commented yet again, as he passed by. Seifer nodded.

- _"It's a man!" _Selphie protested.

- _"Correction: A flamboyantly **gay** man."_ said Seifer, tilting the book up by pushing it up with a finger _"Lucius J. Wallace…" _he read the name on the top of the cover.

The cover of the book, illustrated a man dressed in a tuxedo, with short gray hair, and a blonde woman in a red dress, dancing, sharing a look full of what seemed like longing.

- _"Lucius J. Wallace…" _Seifer repeated _"Where have I heard this name before?"_

- _"Early retired Secretary of Defense of Galbadia." _Selphie informed him _"Says so in the bio in the back. Along with other published works."_

- _"So Mr. Wallace has written a vast variety of high-quality novels?" _Seifer quipped at her.

- _"Don't mock him!" _Selphie snapped _"Luke Walton is one of the most well-developed characters ever to appear in a novel! He's even gotten a 'cameo' in a movie!" _

- _"And which movie might that be?" _Seifer asked, grinning.

- _"Only the hit romance film of the **decade**!" _Selphie said, sounding scandalized that Seifer wasn't aware of that piece of trivia _"Love conquers all!"_

- _"Seriously, who comes up with those titles?" _Seifer asked Zell, who merely shrugged and carried another crate away _"Sounds like something either a middle-aged housewife would think of, or worse…an undereducated teenage girl with **serious** issues…"_

- _"I won't even **bother** to try and make conversation with you anymore!" _Selphie snapped at Seifer, and buried her face behind the pages of her book again.

Chuckling, Seifer walked back towards the doors, leading to the elevator.

- _"See ya around later…"_ he called, receiving a grunt from Selphie and quiet 'Bye' from Zell.__

* * *

Quistis clutched the covers and rolled onto her cot.

Groggily, she rubbed her eyes open, tucking away the strands of hair that had fallen into her face during her sleep.

- _"Rise and shine."_

She turned her head abruptly towards the source of the voice and found Xu sitting on a chair, right across her bed.

- _"Xu!" _the blonde exclaimed, at the totally unexpected sight of her old friend.

The brunette stood up, smiling and approached the cot, sitting next to Quistis.

- _"How are you feeling?" _she asked, running a hand over her forehead.

- _"I'm… I'm fine… I guess…" _Quistis mumbled, still quite bewildered.

She sat up on the cot, only to realize her state of nudity, and tuck the covers underneath her armpits.

- _"Hyne…" _she said, touching Xu's hand _"I haven't seen you in ages!"_

- _"I know…" _Xu said, smiling at her _"Quite a lot has happened…"_

- _"Hyne, yes…" _Quistis said, running a hand through her messy hair _"We were on our way to- Wait…" _she said, looking around her _"Where are we?"_

- _"Ragnarok." _Xu replied laconically.__

- _"Ragnarok?" _Quistis repeated, knitting her brows into a frown _"But-"_

- _"Long story." _Xu interrupted her _"In a nutshell, after Time compression initiated, me and some other SeeDs found ourselves here. Shortly later, Squall and the others showed up, but you were lost. Then somehow ended up here."_

- _"Where **is** here?" _Quistis asked.__

- _"Kashkabald desert." _Xu informed her _"That's were we were stationed, trying to figure out how to find you."_

- _"Where's-"_

- _"He's up." _Xu interrupted the blonde again, frowning the slightest bit _"He… He was the one who brought you here. As in how he managed to do that… no-one knows. Ask him yourself."_

Quistis nodded, still feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the information she'd been bombarded with the last few seconds. It then just hit her that Xu, one of the people she'd come to consider closest to her, knew pretty much nothing about all the recent 'events' that had taken place in her life the past days.

- _"Xu…" _Quistis began _"I think you should-"_

- _"I already know." _Xu said, letting out a long-dragged sigh _"It's your decision, your life, so I can't say anything… Just… be careful with him." _she said in an almost scolding manner.__

Quistis couldn't help but grin at that. She couldn't even begin to explain to Xu how the circumstances had shown her an entirely different 'Seifer', but she knew all to well of their mutual feelings towards each other to try and make amends between them. Not everyone had to agree with her choice, or like him **_'Come to think of it…' _**she thought **_'Not that many people do…' _**

- _"BUT…" _Xu exclaimed, bringing her out of her trance _"If he makes you shed so much of **one** tear, I'm castrating him!"_ Quistis laughed out loud at that _"Quistis, I'm **serious**!" _Xu insisted _"If the slightest mistake on his part falls under my suspicion, he'll be wishing he were never born!"_

- _"OK, OK…" _Quistis said between gales of laughter, putting her palms up, accepting defeat.__

- _"And here…" _said Xu, reaching over to the chair she'd been sitting upon, grabbing a T-shirt _"Wear this." _she added, handing her the garment.

- _"Oh thanks…" _said Quistis, as she slipped her arms through the sleeves and pulled her head up from the neckline _"Is it yours?"_

- _"Well, seeing as Time Compression came as a wee bit of a shock, I didn't have time to actually pack…" _Xu said, grinning _"But we found some soldier gear inside the cabinets in the rooms."_

- _"Ah, I see…" _said Quistis, nodding _"I wasn't really cold, but thanks anyway."_

- _"I just don't want you lying around like that next to **him**…" _Xu said scornfully _"I don't want him gettin' ideas…"_

Quistis blushed a bit at that last statement, and chose not to go further into explaining to Xu what had come between them. Or else she had a feeling that said castration would take place quite a bit sooner than expected…

The door slid open just then, revealing Seifer with a cigarette between his fingers, who almost choked on his intake of smoke at the sight of Quistis being awake.

- _"Quis!" _he exclaimed, throwing the cigarette behind the door just as it slid closed.

He rushed over to the cot, shoving Xu to the side, embracing Quistis tightly. Xu adjusted her uniform and sat up on the cot, glaring at Seifer, who was now in the process of running his fingers through Quistis's hair, smiling at her.

- _"Are you OK?" _he asked gingerly.

- _"I'm fine, no need to worry…" _Quistis replied, smiling back.__

- _"Good, good…" _Seifer mumbled, looking at her, completely ignoring Xu's presence in the room.__

After a few seconds, he turned towards Xu, arching an eyebrow, and cleared his throat loudly.

- _"Ahem, back at you!" _Xu snapped _"I came to see my friend too, you know!" _

- _"Sure, whatever. But kindly rid us of your company now…" _he quipped at her.__

- _"Seifer…" _Quistis growled at him.__

- _"What?" _he said innocently.__

- _"Never mind," _Xu said, getting up _"I have to go back to the lower deck anyway…"_

- _"I'll come by and see you later." _Quistis said.__

- _"Oh and," _Seifer addressed Xu _"Tell Squall to come up, won't ya? I want to… discuss something with him." _

- _"OK, I'll tell him…" _Xu said, walking towards the door, exiting the room.__

Seifer turned his attention back to Quistis, grinning more broadly than ever. He cupped her face in his palms and gave her a deep peck on the lips.

- _"Hyne… I'm so glad you're up…" _he said _"You had me worried…"_

- _"Sorry…" _Quistis apologized _"I didn't mean to cause you trouble. But I was the only one who could help Rinoa at the time…"_

- _"Yeah, I know…" _Seifer said, nodding _"I just didn't want to l-"_

There was a knock on their door.

- _"Be right back…" _said Seifer, frowning, as he got up from the cot.

He walked over to the door, puzzled as to who might be **_'Rinoa or Selphie probably, checking upon Quistis…'_**

****

****

He was rather surprised to see Squall standing outside, since it had been less than a minute that Xu had left the room.

- _"Hey…" _Seifer said, arching both eyebrows.

- _"I was on my way up and saw Xu." _Squall explained, sensing the question before it came up by Seifer's expression _"So… You OK?"_

- _"Yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a bit dizzy before."_ Seifer said.__

- _"Hey Squall…" _Quistis called from inside the room.__

Squall poked his head inside the room and waved at Quistis, smiling the slightest bit.

- _"Feeling well?" _he asked.

- _"Yeah, I'm fine." _Quistis replied, smiling back.__

- _"So…" _Squall said as he leaned back in place _"What did you want to talk to me about?"_

- _"Oh…" _Seifer said, stepping outside the room _"I wanted to ask you what we're planning to do with Ultimecia. I don't suppose you have a lock on her?"_

- _"No, not yet…" _Squall replied, shaking his head in negation _"Still searching."_

- _"You don't think she would own… a castle… do you?" _Seifer asked, rubbing his chin.__

- _"Could be, why?" _Squall asked.__

- _"I'll tell you later…" _Seifer said _"But I have an idea on where she might be… When Quistis feels better we'll assemble up in the cockpit and talk about it."_

- _"Does one hour sound good?" _Squall asked _"We don't actually have much time in our hands…"_

- _"Yeah, one hour's fine."_ Seifer said nodding.__

- _"OK. See you then." _Squall said, turning his heel.__

Seifer smirked.

- _"And… Pubes?"_

Squall frowned. That wasn't a good sign… He turned around to see what Seifer wanted, when-

Next thing he knew, he was lying onto the floor, clutching his aching nose, while Seifer stood above him, cracking the knuckles on his clenched fist.

- _"I don't think I need to explain myself for this…" _Seifer sneered at Squall _"See you later."_ he added, disappearing back through the door.

* * *

**A/N:** OK, OK… I know what you're thinking: "What the **hell** was she smoking when she wrote that dream scene with the giant lizard, worm and salamander?!!!"

Hee, hee… Actually, this is a cameo scene from the very first anime I ever saw. I don't think any of you will know it; it's called "Kabamaru Iga No: Ninja-Boy" and it narrated the story of a boy (Kabamaru) who was an orphan and raised to become a ninja by his grandfather. When his love interest, Mai, spent an entire night out in a blizzard and was ill, he gave her this black pill that his grandpa had taught him how to make, to help her recover quickly. Later on, when Mai slept, she had the exact dream as described here (without the chocobo reference of course) :-p It's not as funny when narrated, but if you see the scene with the dream… well… it was hilarious!

And finally, I'd just like to say that the next chapter will be a wee bit late again because 1) Got studyin' to do… :bleh: and 2) The next chapter is the beginning of a two-part chapter with the Ulty fight, so you can see that I have a LOT of things to go through: how to describe the castle well, the guardians you have to fight, add a few twists of my own, make it all realistic… It should be up in about a week or so.

Ta!

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_The ultimate battle begins…_


	41. Chapter 40: The castle amidst the barren...

**A/N:** Yes, yes... It's been a while...

I know I've said in my last A/N that it would take some time, but I didn't think it would take more than a week. Unfortunately, aside from exams, I came to face a serious writer's block of sorts. A weird one, though... I **knew** what I wanted to write, had it all planned out, but I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and type. I felt like doing nothing, much less write. But now I'm back 'in action' and ready to go on with the story!

What can I say? Took me long enough but at least it's a lot… I sincerely hope I haven't 'lost' any of you during the course of this month and a half…

Many kudos to Chris for his patience and help to put the finishing touches on this

The whole deal with Ultimecia's Guardians had to be changed, in order to make things more realistic. Among the eight original seals, you can have the 'Save' and 'Command' abilities. But how the hell was I going to explain that one? "We have sealed the ability to 'save' your actions, so that if you die you can go back and correct them." ? Nuh-uh... So I had to come up with something different. I gave it some thought, and finally decided on creating three different branches of magic. Offensive (Fire, Ice, Thunder, Ultima... that sort of thing), Defensive (Protect, Reflect, Shell, etc...) and Supportive (Aura, Meltdown, curative spells...).

For more info on what I've changed and for comments on your wonderful reviews, check my journal as always.

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Seifer and Quistis managed to survive during Time Compression and reunite with their friends, always in search of Ultimecia's hide-out._

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 40: The castle amidst the barren flower field – Part 1**

* * *

Selphie piloted her way among the dark clouds that surrounded the ominous castle, slowly descending to lower heights to avoid the crackling thunders slicing the air.

- _"I can't get **too** close." _she mumbled at the others standing behind her _"There's not enough space to land the Ragny ahead. We'll have to stop somewhere before the gates."_

- _"Try over there," _Squall pointed at the ground below _"On the clearing in front of those…" _He squinted _"Chains?"_

- _"Certainly **looks** like chains…" _Irvine mumbled.

- _"Just land the damned thing and we'll figure out what that is once we land." _Seifer piped in, rubbing his lurching stomach.

- _"Alrighty…" _said Selphie, pressing the steering pedal forward, causing the Ragnarok to make a dive towards he ground.

Seifer staggered backwards and grabbed hold of one of the seats, gritting his teeth and trying to breathe properly. He felt a hand close upon his own. Quistis; he recognized her perfume.

- _"I'm seriously starting to doubt whether Ultimecia will turn out to be a bigger threat than Selphie behind the controls of Ragnarok…" _he mumbled at her, out of the corner of his mouth.

- _"Relax." _Quistis whispered to him, squeezing his palm tighter.

With eyes still closed, Seifer held his breath and waited fretfully, until he felt his stomach did the familiar upturn it did when Selphie landed the spacecraft. Wobbling a bit on the spot till the Ragnarok was firm in place, Seifer finally opened his eyes.

- _"Oh, thank Hyne…" _he breathed out.

- _"Is everyone ready?" _Squall asked, looking around his peers.

- _"Yup. All set." _Zell said, cracking his knuckles.

- _"Xu," _Squall turned to the brunette _"Is your squad ready?"_

- _"Ready. They're waiting on the hangar below for instructions." _the girl replied.

- _"Good." _said Seifer, approaching them, finally in a state calm enough to give out orders _"Once out there, just follow our lead till we give further orders."_ Xu nodded.

- _"Who'll take over the controls of the Ragny till we get back?" _Selphie asked.

- _"Don't worry, we'll send one of the pilots you trained up to take care of it." _Xu replied _"We'll have everyone here on stand-by till we get back from the castle."_

- _"But," _Rinoa piped in _"If we manage to defeat Ultimecia, won't Time go back to its original state?" _she asked _"If that's the case, then the Ragnarok won't be here when we return. As a matter of fact, we won't be 'here' either."_

- _"She's got a point." _Irvine agreed.

- _"We'll worry about that later." _Squall said _"Let's just focus on finding and beating Ultimecia for now."_

* * *

Quistis was the last to disembark the hanger of Ragnarok, taking Seifer's hand and jumping off the ledge. Her boots made contact with soil and she looked around the outlandish environment surrounding them all.

Numerous bodies of men and women lay spread-eagled on the ground, only feet away form them. Some were clad in what appeared to be SeeD uniforms, both white and dark blue.

- _"Future SeeDs…" _Squall mumbled, carefully stepping among their carcasses, gunblade out at the ready _"We're fighting across generations…"_

Seifer scanned the ground around him, when suddenly, he tightened his grip around Quistis's wrist and pulled her forward, quickening his step.

- _"Seifer… What-?" _Quistis began.

- _"Come on, let's just move ahead faster…" _he muttered _"This scenery is too morbid…"_

- _"But-" _Quistis said, trying to realize what it was that had triggered his reaction.

She craned her head to the back, while examining the corpse-infested ground. Her eyes suddenly went round in shock.

Only a few feet behind her, lay the bodies of two people she recognized all too well. A woman, dressed in a dark purple dress was lying onto the ground, lifeless, her long black hair barely covering a deep gash that ran all the way up her left cheek and temple. Right above her, lay a man with brown hair, in a position that suggested he'd been trying to cover her. His clothes were tattered and dirty. One of his palms was loosely encasing one of the woman's hands.

Cid and Edea.

Swallowing with difficulty, Quistis took a deep breath and hurried to Seifer's side, holding his hand tighter.

- _"Ultimecia's reign…" _Seifer whispered _"…We have to end it now… Otherwise… **This** is what will happen…"_

- _"We won't allow that…" _Quistis whispered back, voice quivering.

The seven SeeDs leading the mission, followed by Xu and her own squad of allies, made their way through the ground ahead of them. Squall, leading the group, stopped before what he'd perceived as a chain from aboard the Ragnarok.

He found that he'd been right, but the one thing he'd been wrong about, was the enormity of it. Gigantic, oval-shaped metal rings were linked to one another, leading all the way up to the outskirts of the shadowy castle. Squall turned and looked at his peers for affirmation. He met with nothing but a round of shrugs. That would have to do.

Taking the first step, he noticed that the chain would easily hold on to their weight, but it was quite unstable, so they'd have to be cautious.

- _"Just be careful. This thing's trembling around a bit, but other than that, seems safe enough."_ he said, and began pacing ahead.

The small troop slowly made their way up the chain, inching closer and closer to the gates surrounding the castle. With every step forward, everyone stopped, synchronizing their footing, trying to make the chain wobbling as little as possible. The way to the grounds outside the castle seemed to take forever, but eventually, all of them managed to step upon earth once again.

The castle itself was every bit as unsettling as Seifer had remembered it during Time Compression in their world. He had seen it from afar, from the beach of the Orphanage Lighthouse, thunderbolts striking the surface of its medieval structure. The dark clouds above did nothing to relax the atmosphere and gave it an even more ill-omened exterior, creating doubts and terrors about what could hide behind its each and every murky corner…

- _"Good."_ said Squall _"We all made it."_

- _"Whoa…!"_ Zell exclaimed, letting out a low whistle _"So this is her castle?"_

- _"Finally."_ said Selphie.

- _"I've never seen anything so creepy."_ Irvine commented, frowning _"You think what's-her-face really lives here?"_

- _"We've come this far. She's gotta be here."_ Rinoa replied.

- _"So this is the future…"_ Quistis said, looking around her _"This is where Ultimecia reigns…"_

No sooner had she finished her sentence, than a pair of gleaming yellow eyes emerged from the darkness on the right side of the castle. To everyone's terror, that pair was soon followed by many others, as one by one, a swarm of glossy-scaled Ruby Dragons made their appearance.

- _"Oh fuck…" _Seifer hissed _"We don't have time for this! We have to get inside as soon as possible!"_

- _"Go." _Xu said firmly.

Quistis whirled around and stared at her.

- _"Xu…" _she said in a hushed voice.

- _"I said go!" _Xu insisted firmly _"We'll keep them at bay. You seven go inside. We'll follow you afterwards, don't worry!"_

Squall nodded and nudged everyone from his peers within reach forward, towards the small stairway leading to the entrance of the castle. Seifer grabbed Quistis's hand, as she put up a bit of a fight to stay back. She gave Xu one last look full of worry.

- _"We'll see each other again." _Xu said, taking out her daggers, trying to reassure Quistis that everything would turn out alright. But something in her voice told Quistis that deep inside, she believed that those could be the very last words they'd ever utter to each other _"Go, **please**!"_

- _"Xu, be careful!" _Quistis called at her, as Seifer pushed her through the double massive doors.__

He looked at Xu as well, swallowing hard. The brunette looked back at him and this was the first time in their common history that they reached some sort of understanding by a mere glance.

- _"Take care of her!" _Xu yelled at him, as the Ruby Dragons drew near.

- _"You know I will!" _Seifer called back _"**You** take care of yourself!"_

And with those words, he disappeared behind the entrance of the castle…

* * *

The door closed behind Seifer with a loud thud and instantly, the sound of a myriad locks being secured was heard. The tall blond whirled around immediately, placing both palms against the heavy wooden door. He banged a clenched fist upon it, running a hand through his hair. The door had locked behind them and had therefore separated them from the others outside.

They were alone.

Turning around to share the bad news with his peers, he found everyone silent, gaping at the interior of the castle in awe. It was very soon that he joined them, gaping at the gothic decorations of the lobby room.

The only lights inside the castle were provided by flickering candles, allowing the corners of the room to remain well-hidden, giving anyone the impression that a dark creature could be lurking around in each and every one of them. Ominous, gargoyle-shaped statues stood near every wall and hung from the ceiling. The ticking sound of a clock could be heard, coming from the ancient-looking one standing only a few feet away from them, next to a dark doorway. Every tick was followed by a small cloud of dust, when the particles fell from each hand as it moved. A long, illustrious stairway unfolded itself in front of their feet, swirling up to the second floor, ending in front of a pair of double doors. Two paths spun away from the end of the stairs, each leading to a different door as well.

The clock struck midnight, emitting an eerie ringing sound that woke everyone from their trance, sending shivers down their spines.

It also brought Seifer Almasy down to his knees.

The tall blond grasped his ears with both palms, face screwed into a painful expression. It took less than a second for everyone to notice him, and Quistis immediately kneeled by his side, placing her palms on his shoulders gingerly.

Seifer could hear everyone's concerned voice, mingled with each other, but the words made no sense. The walls of his head were throbbing so hard he was afraid they'd shatter and his eyes were watering from the shrill pain inside his mind.

**_You do not belong here…_**

_He was staggering amidst the snowy plain of a place unknown,_

_a__ blizzard engulfing his trembling form,_

_as__ he wrapped his tattered trench coat around him tighter._

**_You are the odd number out…_**

****

****

_He was cold, alone and lost._

**_You always were…_**

****

****

_He was calling out for someone, anyone…_

_But no-one ever answered._

**_You should not be here…_**

****

****

_He curled into a fetal position,_

_as__ a single, salty tear trickled down from his eyes and onto his ice cold lips._

**_You do _not_ belong here…_**

_A woman, dressed in red._

_With jet-black wings, gray hair and red eyes._

_She was leering down upon him._

**_Be gone…_**__

- _"SEIFER!"_

The tall blond snapped his eyes open at the sound of Quistis's scream. He didn't know, nor remember how he'd gotten in such a position, but he now found himself sprawled upon the cold marble floor. His head was resting on Quistis's lap. One of his hands was engulfed into her soft, tender palm, and her other hand rested upon his sweaty forehead. Everyone else had kneeled by his side, staring at him with a mix of bewilderment and concern in their eyes.

- _"Are you alright?" _came Quistis's calm voice, as she leaned closer to him.

He blinked a few times, staring at the flickering candles, before realizing where he was and how he'd gotten there. He swallowed with difficulty.

- _"Yeah… I'm fine…" _he croaked out.

- _"You gave us a real scare, man…" _Irvine said, sighing in relief, while patting him on the knee.

- _"You sort went into a fit." _Selphie said, voice wavering. Her eyes were still very round in fear.

- _"What happened?" _Quistis asked, running her fingers through his slightly damp hair.

- _"I… I…think…" _Seifer stuttered _"I think I saw her…"_

- _"Ultimecia?!" _Zell asked, eyes snapping wide. Seifer nodded.

- _"What did she look like?" _Squall asked.

His face bore just a tiny hint of surprise, but the dominant expression on his features was that of suspicion.

- _"Gray hair… Red eyes… Black wings…" _Seifer uttered _"She was dressed in red… Purple markings on her face…"_

Squall's jaw visibly tightened. And he knew by now that Seifer was telling the truth. He knew, because he had seen the very same woman once, when trying to get Rinoa back from space… He had sensed the ice cold feeling that penetrated his body, freezing his blood, once she peered through him with her empty gaze… And he had instantly known it was **her**.

- _"That's her alright." _Squall mumbled.

- _"How do you know?!" _Rinoa asked, widening her eyes at him.

- _"That's not relevant." _Squall snapped, getting up to his feet _"Are you feeling OK?" _he asked Seifer, quickly changing the subject.

Quistis placed a tender kiss on Seifer's forehead, cradling his face in her arms. It seemed to help bring back some of the drained color to his cheeks. He pecked her forearm and gently nudged her away, trying to get up.

- _"I'm alright…" _he said, slowly getting back up to his knees.

He wrapped his arm around Quistis's shoulder, as she hugged him from the waist tightly, resting her face against his chest.

- _"So…" _Squall spoke _"What do we do from here?"_

Seifer cast one swift glance around him.

- _"Well… The main doorway has been locked if you've noticed. So no-one from outside can come in; we're on our own. Seems like we have four options." _he said _"This door over here," _he pointed at the one right next to the old, dusty clock _"Or one of the three up there."_

- _"Well the most logical choice seems to be the one straight up the stairway." _Zell suggested.__

There was a round of nods supporting his proposal, and all seven mercenaries slowly made their way towards the red-carpeted staircase. The moment Squall's boot made contact with the very first step, all of them froze at once.

Out of thin air, a shadowy cloud of fog began to slowly take shape at the very top of the staircase. When the fog molecules settled down, what appeared to be a sphinx-like creature stood on the far end of the staircase, right in front of a double-doored entrance. The peculiar beast was shielded in a colorful armor or purple, blue, yellow, orange and fuchsia, while four rigid-looking tentacles swayed around from its back. A headpiece, very much like the one a real Sphinx might fashion covered the foe's head, colored in shades identical to those of the armor. Blue and **very** sharp looking claws were protruding from all four of its limbs. It stood still, calmly not uttering a single cry, or moving the slightest bit, aside from the swaying of its tentacles.

Rinoa was the first one to attempt to step ahead and approach it, when she was pulled back abruptly from Squall. The young Commander tugged her a few steps backwards by pulling her wrist, face somber, and moved forward himself, while pulling Lionheart out. Deciding that he would simply not allow Squall to upstage him, Seifer took his cue in following the first's footing, drawing Hyperion out as well.

- _"Step aside and leave it to the men, won't ya?" _he addressed the girls.

His suggestion merely raised scornful glares and eye-rolling on the women's part, but it seemed to suit the three other guys quite well, for none of them phrased any objections. Seifer felt someone brush by him and he cocked one eyebrow at the sight of Zell.

- _"I said leave it to the **men**, Chicken-Wuss." _he spoke at the other blond _"Where do you think **you're** going?"_

Zell stopped on his tracks. If looks could kill, Seifer would be lying spread-eagled and very much dead on the floor right now by the glare the shorter man was giving him. The tangible tension between the two blonds was abruptly alleviated when Irvine nudged Seifer on the ribs and Squall mumbled at Zell's ear to 'Ignore him and drop it'.

- _"Nudge me again," _Seifer growled at Irvine _"And I'll make sure your ass gets intimate with the sharp edge of Hyperion, cowboy."_

Quistis sighed and crossed her arms as she watched the four men ascend the stairway towards the creature speechless.

- _"Why am I with him, again?" _she muttered at the two girls beside her.

When Selphie half-coughed, half-spoke something that sounded a whole lot like 'Mattress performance', Quistis chose to keep her level of vindictiveness to nothing but a sharp, icy glare and do nothing to help raise the tension again, this time between the girls.

The male quartet stopped in front of the Sphinx, feeling somewhat apprehensive; new enemies could always prove dangerous since one knew neither their powers nor their weaknesses. The beast seemed to seize them up with its unnervingly tranquil, almost empty gaze and, all of a sudden, spoke in unearthly tones.

**_I am Sphinxaur…_**

****

**_Face my wrath for seeking thy sealed power…_**

****

Seifer's eyebrows knitted together at the sound of these words **_'Sealed power? What the hell is that thing going on about?' _**He was ready to step forward and attack, but the bewildered looks on the faces of his comrades, as well as a flashback from the past, held him back.

_Guardian spirits such as myself have powers humans cannot even come close to comprehending, if I'm allowed to say so, master._

_'So… You could tell me what, say… Instructor Trepe thinks of me?'Seifer thought, grinning._

_I could, but it's against the morals of a spirit like myself, master. Besides, I'd… rather not._

The tall blond arched an eyebrow at the unexpected memory that rolled back into his head at a time when he needed it the most, as an idea rushed through his mind **_'Ifrit,' _**he addressed his GF **_'What is the meaning of this? What's this sealed power this Sphinxaur thing is talking about?'_**

………………

…No answer.

And right then, it dawned on him that he could feel the same weird sensation of emptiness in his head that he had felt back in the desert prison…

- _"Something's going on here…" _he mumbled at the others _"I can't feel Ifrit's presence and he won't speak to me. Like back in D-District…" _

- _"What do you mean?" _asked Zell.__

- _"I mean, that we most likely can't use GFs and I've got the bad feeling that magic's out of the question too…"_ Seifer elaborated.__

- _"You couldn't use magic in D-District?" _Irvine asked.__

- _"Nope. Barely. And no GFs at all." _Seifer replied _"Had to rely on physical attacks only. It's wasn't really a problem then, because we only had soldiers to go up against, but I dunno how tough it's gonna be **this** time."_

- _"I'm guessing very?" _Zell said, frowning.__

- _"Might be."_ Seifer replied.__

- _"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" _Squall said, readying his Lionheart.__

He took a step forward and extended a gloved palm.

- _"Thundaga!" _he yelled.

The familiar bluish spark began to appear between his fingers, but as soon as it appeared it was wiped away, and the young Commander was left with his hand extending forward and no magical attach whatsoever.

The Sphinxaur took a step forward, and Squall could have sworn it smirked back at him, even with the rigid, expressionless mask it had on. It bowed its head down a bit and an orange aura began to surround it. The energy field soon began to concentrate to the top of its mask, where what was unmistakably a Fire spell formed rapidly. Squall's irises dilated as the spell sped towards him and had only time to shield it partially with his Lionheart.

The young man was thrown backwards by the force of the Fire spell and did a backwards roll on the ground, only to stop a few feet behind, wincing. He rolled his eyes upwards, where one of his locks was now burned off at the tip.

- _"Physical attacks it is, then." _Seifer said, grinning, as he cast one swift look at Squall's once silky, elegant hair, now quite disheveled.

The tall blond whipped out Hyperion and made a run for the beast, bringing his gunblade down with force. The blade slashed down the mask, adorning it with a deep scratch. He made a move to bring the gunblade down again, but the beast let out a screech and brought one clawed limb up, ready to teach Seifer the meaning of pain. He managed to avoid it just in time, rolling away to the side. The Sphinxaur, however, managed to rip the back hem of Seifer's beloved trench coat. The ripping sound made the blond halt in place right after rolling back up to his feet. He grabbed the torn hem of his garment and examined it, giving the beast a murderous glare.

- _"The fucking bastard ripped my coat!" _he hissed.

Behind him, Squall was already standing once again and rushed forward, right after Seifer had attacked. The cyan blade of Lionheart came racing down, just as the Sphinxaur's claw ripped through the grey fabric of Seifer's coat, and found its target right upon the clawed foot. The sharp edge cut through flesh and bone with ease, detaching the limb completely by the beast's body. Squall stepped back as the Sphinxaur let out an almighty shriek and frantically waved its severed foot, spraying the marble floor with crimson blood.

Seifer was about to avenge for the mutilation of his favorite piece of clothing, when he heard the distant clicking of Irvine's shotgun.

- _"Move away!" _the cowboy shouted two both swordsmen, aiming with his gun at the Sphinxaur _"My turn to boogie…" _he muttered, as his finger encased the trigger.

Squall and Seifer stepped aside and not a second later, the now familiar 'Boom' of Irvine's state-of-the-art weapon was heard.

The aim, perfect as always. And it collided with the enemy's mask right between the drawn-upon eyes. A small explosion took place and the mask was blown to particles, revealing the foe's true face underneath it. It was that of an original Sphinx; a female visage, still blank and wearing a small headpiece. Only now, the face was left uncovered.

Even with the deadpan expression, however, the monster somehow managed to look infuriate, and demonstrated so by turning its attention to its most recent attacker and bowing its head once more. Irvine rolled out of the way as the ground crackled underneath him and a Thunder spell surged its way up to the surface. The Thundaga caught Irvine on the leg, just as he jumped away, making him stop in mid-roll and fall on the ground, clutching his aching leg.

The next thing everyone saw was a blur of red and blue, as Zell cart-wheeled his way towards the Sphinxara and shoved his Ehrgeiz-gloved fists down upon its exposed face. The beast received two consecutive heavy blows and took a step back, wincing in pain.

Seifer and Squall, took the opportunity of the monster's weakness and, one by one, brought their gunblades down, piercing through the hard-shelled armor of the Sphinxara. They barely had time to draw them back, when their enemy gave out its shrieking swan-song and fell to the floor in a crumple. Another explosion, greater this time, forcefully thrust the two men away and the Sphinxara's armor collapsed along with its owner.

Seifer cringed and slowly raised his head up, turning to look at the fallen monster.

- _"Is it… dead?" _he croaked out.

No sooner had he finished his sentence, than the Sphinxara's booming voice filled the air once again.

**_You have fought well…_**

****

**_And it is my duty to unseal one of your powers…_**

****

**_Choose wisely…_**

****

****

****

****

- _"Am I the only one who's still got no idea what the heck all this 'sealed powers' jabbering is about?"_ Zell asked, slowly getting up from the ground.

- _"Nope. I got no clue either." _Irvine said, shrugging feebly, rubbing his sore leg in comfort.

Seifer never phrased it, but he couldn't understand what was going on either. He wasn't going to let everyone know, though…

- _"Didn't you see what was going on during the fight?" _Squall asked all three _"The only thing we could use was Physical Attacks. It's obvious that we'll have to fight our way in unlocking more of our powers, like magic, or items…"_

- _"Yeah… Obvious…" _Seifer mumbled, nodding, only now realizing that what Squall was saying was indeed true.__

- _"Alright…" _said Irvine _"But how do we know what powers those are? Or how many are sealed?"_

- _"We could always…"_ Zell hesitated _"Ask it…"_

All three turned around and looked at Zell, eyebrows arched.

- _"Be my guest…" _Seifer said, motioning towards the fallen Sphinxara.

Zell took his sweet time in re-approaching the creature and stood before it, somewhat rigid.

- _"Erm…" _he began _"Err… Hello."_

Seifer slapped a hand on his forehead and dragged it down to his face.

**_Greetings…_**

****

****

- _"Uhh… Can you- Could you… tell us… what erm… powers… uhh… we can unseal?" _Zell muttered.

**_The powers that have been sealed, are those of Item use,_**

**_Guardian Force use, the Draw Magic ability,_**

**_the_****_ use of emergency physical attack techniques-_**

****

****

- _"The what?" _Zell asked, frowning in bewilderment.

- _"Limit Breaks." _Irvine mumbled at him.

- _"Oh right…" _Zell said _"Erm… Go on."_

**_The ability to resurrect fallen allies and the ability to use Magic._****__**

**_However, the latter branches out to three separate powers._**

**_The ability to use offensive, defensive and supportive magic…_**

****

****

- _"That's it?" _asked Zell.

**_That is all…_**

****

**_Now…_****__**

****

**_Choose wisely…_**

****

****

****

After the end of Sphinxara's small speech, Irvine turned around and beckoned the girls to come over with his index finger. All three stepped up the staircase, gaze falling upon the beaten Sphinxara with interest.

- _"There's some weird deal with our powers going on here…" _Irvine began.

- _"Yeah, we heard." _said Selphie _"So we have to fight our way through the castle to regain our powers?"_

- _"More or less." _replied Zell.

- _"That doesn't really make sense…" _said Rinoa, crossing her arms.

- _"On the contrary," _Quistis said _"I think it makes **much** sense… She's trying to test us. See if we're worthy to face her in battle."_

- _"And now we have to choose a certain… power to be unlocked?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Exactly. Choose one between Offensive, Defensive and Supportive Magic, Resurrection, Limit Breaks, Item use, GF use and Drawing Magic." _replied Squall.

- _"Which one should we go for?" _Irvine asked.

There was silence for a fair few minutes while everyone tried to decipher which would be the most logical and useful choice.

- _"How 'bout…" _Seifer suggested _"Offensive magic?"_

A round of shrugs met with his proposal.

- _"OK… Why that and not another seal?" _Zell questioned.

- _"Well…" _began Seifer _"The first opponent wasn't really that tough, but something tells me that as we progress things are gonna get more and more challenging."_

- _"So physical attacks only won't do…" _Squall continued for him, nodding, getting his train of thought.

- _"That's right." _Seifer said in consent.

- _"But what about healing?" _Rinoa piped in _"Don't you think it's essential to be able to cure ourselves during or after a fight?"_

- _"That can always be the seal we unlock afterwards." _Seifer said, shrugging _"We barely got injured during this fight and I think everyone has rested enough to be able to hold on for one more battle…"_

- _"True." _Irvine agreed, nodding.

- _"So we all agree then?" _Squall asked the group _"We go with Offensive Magic?"_

Everyone either nodded or spoke for the motion, so it was unanimously passed among them. Zell turned towards the always tranquil and awaiting Sphinxara.

- _"We choose to unseal the **Offensive Magic** seal." _he spoke.

The beast gave a nod.

**_Very well…_**

And with those words, it collapsed to the ground, where it began to dissolve into thin particles that soon scattered onto the air and disappeared.

- _"So… Now what?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Now, we move on." _Seifer replied _"Explore the castle for the rest of them before we get to Ultimecia."_

- _"Just make sure you're all well-prepared." _Seifer commented _"We can only use magic to attack, so our defense is **very** vulnerable. Make sure you junction a powerful spell to your elemental defense. Full-Life would be great, if everyone's got it maxed out."_

- _"I do." _said Rinoa.

- _"Yup. So do __I._said Quistis, nodding in agreement, just like everyone else.

- _"Good, good." _said Squall approvingly _"So now we can move on. How's the leg?"_ he asked Irvine.

- _"Fine. I didn't hurt it that much. Just have to walk it off a bit. So… Should we split up?" _Irvine suggested.

Squall and Seifer looked at each other, nodding the slightest bit.

- _"Who are you taking?" _Squall asked the blond. Seifer looked at Quistis.

- _"Why don't we let them decide…?" _he proposed.

Quistis moved close to Seifer and held his hand.

- _"I'm coming with you." _she said.

- _"You sure?" _he asked. Quistis nodded, smiling.

Seifer smiled inwardly. After all the times Quistis had chosen to be apart from him, this is all he'd longed to hear…

- _"I'll go with you." _Irvine told Squall.

- _"Me too." _Rinoa said.

- _"Selphie?" _Squall asked.

- _"I'll go with Seifer, if that's OK with Irvy…"_ she said, grinning at Irvine.

- _"I'm fine with it." _the tall cowboy said, taking Selphie hand in his palms, kissing it reverently _"Just be careful babe."_

- _"I will." _Selphie said, giggling.

- _"And… Zell?" _Rinoa asked.

The blond shrugged and made a move towards Squall, but Seifer pulled him back from the shoulder.

- _"Zelly-Boy's comin' with __me._he said, smirking _"I could use with some entertainment along the way."_ Zell rolled his eyes.

- _"Fine…" _he sighed.

- _"Alright then. We'll be communicating at all times to report progress and the unsealing of powers." _Squall said to Seifer, tapping on his cell-phone as Seifer nodded in affirmation.

- _"We'll take the right-hand doorway over there." _Seifer said, pointing at a pair of doors that stood on the right branch of the balcony.

- _"I guess we'll try the center one." _Squall suggested, pointing at the doors behind them.

Seifer's team began to head towards their designated direction, when Squall spoke again.

- _"And, Seifer," _The blond turned around _"**Try** not to kill each other before we get to Ultimecia…"_ he said, motioning at him and Zell _"What you do afterwards is neither of my business nor of my concern…"_

Seifer merely cocked an eyebrow at that and scoffed, turning away and continuing down his chosen path.

Squall looked up at the double doors standing tall before his small group and took a deep breath. Could it be that Ultimecia was waiting right behind that doorway? What if they stepped inside and came to face her, just the three of them, with the greatest portion of the powers still unsealed? Would the others have to step in later and finish the job for them…?

But no… It couldn't be **that** easy… They were still in the very beginning of their quest, and surely Ultimecia would have a lot more up her sleeve till they came to challenge her…

Letting go of the breath he'd been holding, Squall began ascending the few steps ahead of him. His gloved palms closed around the handles of each door and slowly pressed the down, pushing the doors aside. He heard Rinoa's sharp intake of breath right behind him as the doors creaked and a few particles of dust fell down upon his front bangs of hair. He dusted his hair clean, bringing his clenched fist forward as he coughed, clearing the dust away with his other hand.

The doors gave out another creak and a semi-loud thud as they collided with the walls behind the next room and came to a stop.

- _"Clearly," _Irvine coughed _"No-one 'sides the Ultimecia lady has been in here for a looooong time…"_

- _"Clearly." _Squall agreed _"Better watch your step, then." _he warned both his allies.__

The next room was as poorly lit as the grand hallway, and Squall guessed that the case wouldn't be different for pretty much any other room inside the elaborate castle. And thankfully, there was still no sign of the Sorceress as Squall had guessed. And hoped…

Instead, he came across with the sight of what looked like a semi-floor. There was very little floor ahead of them, along with a fallen wooden chair, and it ended only a few feet ahead of them. A vast, majestic chandelier hung from the ceiling and reached down to the height of the semi-floor. It seemed like the only way across, leading to another small part of floor and right in front of another pair of doors.

- _"Looks like Miss Ultimecia could use with a hand in cleaning this place up a bit…" _Rinoa said, letting out a small, nervous giggle. Behind her, Irvine chuckled a bit as well.

Squall, however, was not nearly as amused.

- _"Do you honestly think this is a good time to be cracking jokes?" _he spoke to Rinoa, giving her one of his specially reserved cold looks.

The girl seemed quite taken aback by his harshness and blushed, lowering her face to the floor.

- _"I… I just thought…"_ she began mumbling.

Squall caught Irvine's gaze. His peer was giving him a rather austere glare, one eyebrow raised. Squall sighed.

- _"I'm sorry…" _he muttered to Rinoa _"That was callous…"_

- _"It's OK…" _Rinoa said, shrugging, looking up at him _"I understand."_

- _"It's just that I'm worried about what might come next." _Squall went on _"Things aren't going to be easy. So I'm a bit on the edge…"_

- _"Yeah, it's alright." _Rinoa said, giving him a small smile this time.__

Irvine gave Squall an appreciative nod and just when the Commander made a move to turn around again, he saw Irvine motioning with his head towards Rinoa and doing something weird with his arms. Squall gave him a puzzled look, creasing his forehead. Trying to help him understand, Irvine wrapped his arms around himself and swayed a bit on the spot, closing his eyes. Squall's eyebrows arched and his eyes widened, still not quite getting Irvine's train of thought. His expression made Rinoa curious enough to turn around and look at Irvine as well, her face now screwing into pretty much the same way Squall's had.

Irvine finally opened his eyes and saw both Squall and Rinoa looking at him, dumbfounded. He straightened up, rubbing the back of his hair with his hand, grinning awkwardly.

- _"I miss Selphie…" _he said.

- _"Awww…"_ cooed Rinoa, her facial expression becoming milder at once _"That's so sweet!"_

Shaking his head in disbelief, Squall turned around to face the chandelier again.

He took a hesitant step forward, allowing his feet to carry him right to the edge of the floor. He stared at the chandelier intently.

Rinoa caught his gaze and realized exactly what it was he had in mind. She approached him and spoke right above his shoulder.

- _"You sure that's a good idea?" _she asked, her own gaze traveling to the room right below.

It looked as abandoned as the rest of the castle, but the way down wasn't a short one…

- _"That chandelier doesn't look too steady to me…" _she went on _"And that's a **long** way down."_

Irvine moved close to them and dared to take a glance to the room down below, realizing immediately what Rinoa was talking about.

- _"I hear ya…" _he agreed, taking a step back _"I don't think it's a good idea either, Squall…"_

But the young Commander's stubbornness wasn't going to back away so easily… He turned around and faced both of them, a casual expression on his face.

- _"Where's your sense of adventure?" _he asked rhetorically, arching both eyebrows.

He turned back around and raised his right foot up. Burying all apprehension deep inside him, he leaned forward.

- _"Squall, NO!"_

- _"DON'T MAN!"_

Squall's boot pressed upon the chandelier and it barely budged. He aided himself up and stood with both feet upon the chandelier. It still remained unmoving.

Smirking the slightest bit, he turned around.

- _"See?" _he said somewhat smugly _"Perfectly safe."_

Irvine and Rinoa turned to look at each other and shared a look of uneasiness. The girl sighed audibly and began approaching the edge of the floor.

- _"OK…" _she mumbled.

Biting her lip, she raised her foot and oh-so-carefully, placed it atop the base of the chandelier. She took Squall's outstretched hand and rode up, shivering from head to toe. The chandelier gave a small, but very audible creak.

Rinoa froze on her tracks.

- _"Did you hear that?!"_ she said in a hushed voice.

- _"**I** did…" _Irvine said, obviously quite terrified. Squall rolled his eyes.

- _"Relax… You could have barely even heard that. Besides, it's an old chandelier-"_

- _"Our point **exactly**!" _Irvine piped in.

- _"So it might be a bit **rusty**." _Squall continued, voice a bit raised _"Now come on, don't be such a wimp…" _

Irvine arched an eyebrow and, carefully, climbed up the chandelier. Squall turned around and began pacing across, grabbing hold of the protruding edges for safety.

The chandelier gave another creak, a bit louder this time, and a small vibration.

- _"OK… I have a **really** bad feeling about this…" _Irvine mumbled _"This old piece of junk is clearly protesting under our weight, you were channeling Seifer right before… Things are **definitely** spooky…"_

Squall stopped on his tracks and gave a barely audible groan. He wheeled around.

- _"**When** was I channeling **Seifer**? Of **all** people?!" _he growled.

- _"Right before, man…" _Irvine replied with a chuckle _"The whole 'wimp' talk? That's **totally** Seifer…"_

- _"I'll have to agree with __Irvine__…" _Rinoa said, grinning the slightest bit _"I think he's beginning to rub off on you…"_

- _"OK, listen here." _Squall said, eyes shining with a sign of fury _"I was **NOT** channeling Seifer," _he said, stomping a foot on the chandelier _"He is **NOT** rubbing off on me,"_ The thing gave a dragged-out screech _"And **THIS**," _It vibrated greatly _"Is a **one hundred per cent**," _Squall's face, as well as everyone else's, paled _"…safe…" _

* * *

- _"Just ignore the frickin' bell and let's get on with it!" _growled Seifer.

- _"But I wanna know what it does!" _Selphie whined _"What if it's something important?"_ she retorted.

Quistis sighed deeply as Zell buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting out a moan of protest.

- _"Just let her ring the bell and then we can go, Seifer…" _she said wearily.

The tall blond strode back from the double doors over to them.

- _"First off, we don't know what that fucking bell might trigger-"_ he began.

- _"Don't swear."_ Quistis scolded him.

- _"And second, we're los-" _Seifer went on, ignoring her, when he suddenly stopped.

His eye gaze traveled to Zell who was stifling back a chuckle. He crossed his arms and stepped over to him, leering down upon him, a deadly frown crossing his features.

- _"Something you find particularly funny…?" _he spoke in a low voice.

Zell shook his head in disbelief, always grinning.

- _"Nothing… just…"_ he began.

- _"Just **what**?" _Seifer spat at him.

- _"I just can't believe you went and got yourself a second 'Matron', man…" _Zell replied.

Seifer's eyes glistened at the sound of those words and he made a grab for Zell's shirt, when…

**!CRASH**

All four of them jumped up startled at the deafening thud that had just echoed among the entire castle and froze in place, even Selphie who'd seized the opportunity of an upcoming quarrel to try and pull the bell's chain.

Seifer immediately wheeled around to her. Reading his expression, Selphie let go of the chain and threw her palms up in the air, eyes widening.

- _"I didn't pull it!" _she protested _"I did nothing, I swear!"_

Seifer cursed under his breath and made a run for the spiraling stairway.

- _"Trust Puberty-Boy to bring mayhem within a heartbeat…"_

* * *

Squall groaned in pain and clutched his aching back, slowly rolling off the chandelier.

The moment his weight abandoned it, it sprang back up to the ceiling and to its original place, swinging on the spot the slightest bit. He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face, as the cloud of yet more dust began to settle down. He slid his eyelids open half-way up, just as a clicking sound was heard from above.

- _"Everyone alright?" _he mumbled.

The response he got was two different groans.

Rinoa pushed herself up from the floor with a bit of difficulty and rose up to her feet, swaying a bit before she steadied herself.

- _"Less than half an hour in this place and I'm already hating it…" _she muttered, dusting her clothes clean in disgust.

- _"Don't be such a wimp…" _Irvine nagged, still on the floor, mimicking Squall's voice _"It's **one hundred percent** safe… Come on, cross the chandelier to your almost certain death…"_ Squall rolled his eyes.

- _"So I made a mistake…" _he mumbled, aiding himself up _"Go ahead and shoot me, won't ya?"_

- _"Oh, I intend to." _Irvine retorted _"The moment I'm able to move my hands down to my shotgun…"_

- _"Did you break anything?" _Rinoa asked, offering a hand to help him get up.

- _"Nah, babe…" _said-slash-groaned Irvine, taking her hand _"I've had years of trainin' on how to fall properly." _He dusted his coat clean _"The times I've been accidentally pushed offa beds while sleepin'…"_ He said, tipping his hat at her, making her giggle.

- _"Accidentally?" _Squall quipped between gritted teeth.

- _"I think this is a **tad** different, __Irvine_Rinoa said, grinning.

- _"YO!"_

All three mercenaries looked up towards the floor they'd fallen off, where Zell's face was visible. Soon, three more familiar faces appeared beside him.

- _"Is everyone alright?!"_ came Quistis's worried voice.

- _"All fine, Quisty…" _Rinoa shouted back up, wiping the dust off her hair _"We just fell…"_

- _"Yes, we can see that…" _came Seifer's drawling voice _"How the hell did you manage to do that? Even Chicken-Wuss ain't that dumb to fall off this thing…"_

- _"HEY!"_ __

- _"Irvy, are you OK?!" _Selphie shouted.

- _"I'm fine, babe!" _Irvine replied, sending her a kiss from the floor below.

- _"So how d'you do it?" _Seifer asked again.

- _"It's the chandelier." _Squall spoke for the first time _"We tried to cross it, but it wasn't steady enough."_

- _"Well no shit, Sherlock…"_ Seifer scoffed, taking a look at said chandelier _"That thing's ancient!"_

- _"It was OK until Squall started stomping on it because we said he was channeling you." _Rinoa taunted.

- _"HEY!"_

- _"Channeling me?" _Seifer said with a chuckle _"Awww… Pubes… Did you miss me that bad?" _he teased.

- _"It was **NOT** OK…" _Squall went on, ignoring Seifer _"It was creaking when we mounted it, so-"_

- _"That's not what you were saying before!" _Irvine snapped.

- _"So it probably isn't steady anyway. Besides, it sprang back up the moment we fell off of it and there was some sort of clicking sound after it went up." _Squall continued, ignoring Irvine this time _"So there's probably something we have to do to keep it steady."_

- _"Can you get out of there?" _Quistis asked.

- _"Yeah, there are two doors." _Rinoa said _"We'll be fine."_

- _"You go ahead and go back to your **own** route." _Squall added.

- _"Alright…" _Seifer said shrugging _"Oh and, Pubes? **Try** not to kill yourself before we get to Ultimecia…What you do afterwards is neither of my business nor of my concern…"_

* * *

Returning back to the room they'd entered before the crashing sound of the chandelier falling was heard, Seifer made a move to push the doors open again. He turned around once, giving Selphie a glare as she approached the bell yet again –Selphie let go of the chain- and opened the double doors.

He stepped inside, closely followed by the three others. The room they'd entered was by far the best lit one they'd been in so far. There wasn't really much inside it, except for a stairway on their right which led one floor up, various paintings scattered upon the walls. There was yet another pair of doors straight ahead. Not giving it a second thought, Seifer proceeded to the doorway, only to find it locked shut. Frowning, he wiggled the handles more forcefully, pressing his shoulder against the doors to aid them open.

- _"Fuck…" _he mumbled, eventually giving up _"They're locked."_

- _"Think we should go back and try a different route?" _Zell suggested.

- _"We can't just back away at the first obstacle." _Selphie said _"There's gotta be a way out of here."_

- _"Of course there is, only it comes in the form of a key which we clearly don't own." _Seifer said.

- _"Maybe…" _Quistis spoke, her gaze traveling around the room _"There's something we have to do in here. Like… pull a secret lever."_

- _"Alright then…" _Seifer said _"You girls take the second floor. Me and the wuss will search around here."_

Zell, who had by now learned to ignore Seifer's name-calling, approached one of the paintings near-by and began to examine it thoroughly. Selphie and Quistis ascended the stairway to check out the top floor.

Seifer looked around for a bit, before what seemed like the biggest painting in the room caught his attention. He moved towards the left wall and squinted, looking at the painting.

Within the elaborate golden frame, there was a picture of what appeared to be a garden, amidst ruins and white marble columns. They reminded him of the lighthouse orphanage in Centra. Ancient Centraic architecture… He lowered his head a bit, to where a golden ribbon with an inscription stood. He squinted even more, trying to make out what the inscription said.

- _"There's a title on this picture…" _he said, loud enough for everyone to hear him _"But it's too faint to make out… Do all pictures have titles beneath them?"_

- _"No…" _replied Zell, shaking his head in negation _"Yes… Kinda."_

- _"What do you mean, kinda?" _Seifer asked scornfully, turning to look at Zell's direction.

- _"Well…" _Zell began _"They've all got this small sequence of letters next to the painting."_

Seifer approached Zell and leaned above him, looking at the small golden plaque next to the painting the shorter man had been viewing.

- _"See here?"_ he said, pointing at it _"It's got four Is next to it. 'IIII'. Oh, there's an inscription too, you're right."_ he said, looking below the painting's frame.

The girls who had heard the conversation between the two men had descended back to the lower floor and had approached them as well, all leaning over the same painting.

- _"What does it say?" _asked Selphie, squinting.

- _"In…ter…vi…geyi…leeum." _Zell muttered.

- _"Let me take a look at this." _Quistis said, gently pushing Zell aside.

She kneeled in front on the painting and looked at the inscription. _'Intervigilium'_

- _"Hmm…" _she hummed _"Intervigilium…"_

- _"Does it ring any bells?" _Seifer asked her.

- _"I think so…" _she said, frowning, obviously doing some serious thinking _"What was that painting you saw called?"_ she asked Seifer.

- _"I dunno. Couldn't make it out." _he replied.

- _"You mean you couldn't pronounce it?" _Quistis asked again.

- _"No, it wasn't like this one. You couldn't make out the letters at all." _he said, shaking his head.

- _"Show __me._said Quistis intrigued, getting up to her feet.

Seifer walked back towards the main painting and pointed at the inscription below. He turned around to speak to Quistis, only to find her a few feet behind him, staring at the floor, a weird expression plastered on her face.

- _"Quistis?" _he spoke _"Are you-?"_

- _"Zell, what did you say the writing next to the painting was?" _Quistis snapped.

- _"Erm… Inter-"_ Zell began.

- _"No, no. The other one." _Quistis interrupted him _"The letter sequence."_

- _"Oh, OK…" _Zell said, looking back at the golden plaque _"Four consecutive Is. IIII."_

Quistis looked back down to the floor. She took a couple of steps back, when her eyes suddenly became very round.

- _"Centraic numerals…" _she mumbled, and sprinted up the stairway to the upper floor.

- _"Quistis, what-?" _Seifer called at her, following her upstairs.

He found her standing on the left branch of the top floor, staring down to the floor below in glee. He walked over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

- _"What is it? Did you discover something?" _he asked her.

- _"It's Centraic numerals, Seifer!" _she exclaimed, pointing at the floor in ecstasy _"It's a puzzle, look!" _she said, grabbing his face in both palms, pointing it towards the floor _"A clock, see?!"_

Seifer screwed his face into a puzzled expression. What he was looking at, was two concentric circles, with a dozen numerical sequences inscribed within. Three arrows of different sizes were pointing at three different numerical sequences. His expression changed.

- _"Ohhhh…" _he said, finally beginning to get Quistis's train of thought.

- _"What, what?!" _Selphie said, running up to them, Zell behind her _"Did you find anything?"_

- _"It's a puzzle!" _Quistis replied, her eyes always glinting with the light of discovery _"We obviously have to solve it for the doors to unlock."_

- _"What kind of puzzle?" _Zell asked.__

- _"See the clock down there?" _Quistis said, pointing at the floor below yet again _"It's pointing at three different Centraic numerals!"_

- _"Centraic whaaaa-?" _Selphie asked, coking her head to the side.__

- _"This is how the ancient Centraics used to represent numbers. By a sequence of letters." _Quistis explained _"Examine the clock. I stands for one, II is two and so on. It goes up to four Is, then the V which is five, X is ten-"_

- _"OK, OK slow down…" _Seifer said, putting up his palms _"This is all fine and good, but how does it help us get outta here?" _

- _"The clock hands point at three different numerals. IIII, VI and VIII." _Quistis replied _"We have to find those paintings. We already have the first one; it's the one Zell was looking at."_

- _"OK, and then what?" _Seifer asked again.__

- _"Oh, oh!" _Selphie piped in _"Maybe there's something behind those three paintings, like switches or something that will pull the door open!"_

- _"Maybe." _Quistis said, shrugging _"Go find paintings VI and VIII. That's numbers six and eight."_

- _"Gotcha." _said Selphie and ran off ahead in search for the two paintings.__

Zell followed suit behind her, while Quistis moved to the painting closer to her. Seifer walked right behind her, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

- _"What's wrong?" _Quistis asked him, then turned her attention back to the painting.

- _"I just don't think that all we have to do is find those three paintings…" _he muttered.__

- _"Why?" _Quistis asked, examining the plaque next to the picture _"That's X, number ten. 'Xystus'. No good…" _she mumbled.__

- _"Well the painting I saw didn't have any numbers on it like the rest do and the inscription wasn't clear enough. I don't think it was put there for no reason at all." _Seifer replied.__

- _"Hmmm… You're right…" _said Quistis, getting up _"There has to be some logic behind it as well… Anyway let's just find those three first and then we'll see what we'll do-"_

- _"We have a winner!" _called Selphie _"Number six, VI! Vee-ator!"_

Quistis approached Selphie and leaned before the painting Selphie was looking at. It was the picture of a city as seem from a certain angle above, while a bird flew away from it, carrying something in its claws. The blonde's fingers brushed by the golden ribbon with the title.

- _"Viator…" _she mumbled _"Messenger…"_

- _"What?" _asked Selphie.__

- _"Viator means Messenger." _Quistis replied more firmly.__

- _"In what language?" _asked Seifer.__

- _"Ancient Centranean." _said Quistis.__

- _"We've got another one!" _Zell called, a bit further away _"Number eight, VIII. That one's called… Vee-vee… Meh, you read it…"_

Quistis got up and walked over to Zell's painting this time. This one showed the picture of a beautiful garden, with tall tress and fuchsia flowers spread all over its length.

- _"Vividarium." _Quistis read _"I think that means Garden and judging by the picture, I'm probably correct."_

- _"Since when do you speak Ancient Centranean?" _Selphie asked Quistis.__

- _"Yeah, isn't that like a lost language or something?" _Zell added.__

- _"There's no 'New Centranean'. The language was last spoken centuries ago from the once thriving Centraic communities." _Quistis replied _"The only one who still speak it are the tribes that reside in the few remaining inhabited villages of Centra. And that's actually a slightly more modern adaptation of Ancient Centranean, modified as time passed by into what one could call 'slang'."_

- _"OK…" _Selphie said, arching both eyebrows _"But you still haven't told us how come you can speak that thing…"_

- _"I'm not an expert." _Quistis said, shrugging _"I just studied it briefly in my early years in Garden. Thought it might come in handy some time. Especially now with Rinoa's recent possessions and all."_

- _"Why exactly?" _asked Zell. Quistis rolled her eyes.__

- _"The first ever records of an appearance of a Sorceress trace back to Centra." _she began _"Hence, the ancient language they speak is a lot like Ancient Centranean. It's only logical that Ultimecia would have a riddle that included her own language in it."_

- _"Geez, you sound as if I'm **supposed** to know all this…"_ Zell mumbled.__

- _"One of your best friends is a Sorceress!" _Quistis protested _"Shouldn't you at least know her origins?!" _

- _"Why? We've got you to ask when we want to know something." _Selphie said, grinning.__

Quistis let out a sigh and put her palms up in resignation. Seifer snaked an arm around her shoulder and smiled at her.

- _"You're a genius, you know that?" _he said, smiling at her.

The blonde blushed and looked down to the floor, flattered, while Zell and Selphie made loud retching sounds behind the couple. Quistis shook her head in disbelief and gently nudged Seifer away.

- _"OK, let's concentrate back on the puzzle!" _she ordered _"We've got the three paintings, now let's figure out what they do." _

- _"Try wiggling it around a bit." _Selphie suggested to Zell _"There might be something behind it."_

Zell grabbed the frame of the 'Vividarium' painting and tried to make it budge, but nothing happened.

- _"Nope. Don't think it's gonna be that easy…" _he said, shaking his head.

- _"What were the three paintings again?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Vividarium, this one, Viator and Intervigilium." _Quistis replied _"Garden, Messenger and uhh… Intervigilium… Intervigilium… Ah! Sleep! Garden, Messenger and Sleep."_

- _"Garden?" _Selphie said, frowning _"Hey, Seifer. Didn't that painting you saw-"_

But Seifer was already descending the stairway back down and heading towards the big painting on the left wall. He pressed his palms up against it and grinned.

- _"This one is the picture of a garden as well." _he spoke out loud _"They've gotta be connected **somehow**."_

- _"Maybe it's like a code." _said Selphie, running up behind him _"Maybe we have to say something and it'll unlock."_

- _"Like the titles of the three paintings?" _Zell suggested.__

- _"Could be…" _said Selphie, shrugging _"Quisty? Will you do the honors?"_

- _"Alright…" _said the blonde, approaching the painting.__

She took a deep breath and looked at the big painting.

- _"Vividarium, Viator, Intervigiluim."_

Nothing happened.

- _"Try them in the order the numbers refers to." _Zell proposed.

- _"Erm… Intervigiluim, Viator, Vividarium."_

Still nothing.

- _"I don't think we'll just have to speak them." _Selphie said _"Maybe we have to connect them together in a sentence."_

- _"Hey…" _said Seifer _"Try using them like this: Vididarium, Intervigiluim, Viator." _

- _"Why?" _asked Selphie.__

- _"When you tell the time, you say the hour first, then the minutes, then the seconds." _he replied _"The big hand clock is pointing at VIII. Vividarium. The minute one is pointing at Intervigilium and the second one at Viator."_ Quistis's face lightened up.__

- _"You're a genius," _she said, giving him a peck _"You know that?"_

Seifer grinned, as she turned away and looked at the painting again.

- _"So… One sentence with this sequence…" _she said, frowning in thought _"Garden, Sleep, Messenger…"_

**_'Garden, Sleep, Messenger… Hmmm… Inside the garden, a messenger sleeps… That doesn't make much sense… Unless by sleep it means that it lies dormant. Change the sequence a bit… Inside the garden sleeps a messenger. And in Centranean that would be…'_**

****

****

- _"Vividarium et Intervigilium et Viator." _Quistis spoke clearly.

All four of them waited in heated silence for a couple of seconds.

The picture began to suddenly change, as if all clouds disappeared from view and the landscape became more clear. A small cloud of black smoke began to rise from their feet, moving upwards.

**_I am Trauma…_**

****

**_Face my wrath for seeking thy sealed power…_**

Selphie was the first one to turn around, towards the source of the voice. Her eyebrows arched.

- _"Oh my…" _she muttered.

The three others wheeled around as well, eager yet somewhat fearful of the sight they'd come across.

A gigantic, golden, mechanical beast was hovering only a couple of feet above the floor, standing in front of the stairway that led to the upper floor. It seemed like a deadly weapon, taken right out of a lab from Esthar, futuristic and without a doubt full of nasty surprises. Instead of arms, its only limbs, the creature bore two thick, pipe-like constructions that looked horrifyingly like cannons. Seifer didn't want to give this idea any more thought…

- _"Oh my, indeed…" _mumbled Zell.

- _"Air-borne monster…" _said Quistis, out of the corner of her lips, while readying her weapon _"Wind spells will come in handy…"_

Seifer either chose to ignore or never heard Quistis's piece of advice. Probably the latter, but the outcome was the same, as he charged their awaiting foe with the only weapon he ever trusted; his Hyperion. Quistis rolled her eyes and sighed, getting into a battle position between Selphie and Zell, who did the same.

The blond Commander who was already in mid-motion, got a belated surge of enlightenment which informed him that swords against mechanical foes didn't have the wanted results. Too late… Realizing that backing away was not an option at this moment, he armed his right arm with as much force as he could muster, and brought his gunblade slashing across the metallic torso before his as he leapt in mid-air.

The blow proved to be a bit more damaging than he had expected. The golden metal was apparently somewhat softer than he estimated, so Hyperion scraped it with enough ease. The hit created a deep scratch upon the beast's chest, partially harming the interior circuits of the Trauma. Seifer was back on the floor and the mecha-enemy seemed fairly pissed. As much as a machine could look angered, anyway…

The tall blond stepped backwards hastily, returning to his three peers. Selphie moved aside, allowing him to come to a halt next to Quistis.

- _"Had to rush in, didn't you?" _Quistis spat at him, through gritted teeth.

- _"Hush, woman." _Seifer said, rolling his eyes _"It did some damage, didn't it?"_

No sooner had he finished his sentence, than the Trauma retaliated, lunging forward towards its attacker. Seifer didn't have the time nor the space to back away and found himself back-first onto the floor, with the gargantuan machine atop him, bringing one of its canon-like limbs down towards his face speedily. Quistis cracked her whip in the air once and brought it forward. The whip coiled around the arm and the sharp barbs of Save the Queen penetrated the metal surface of the Trauma's limb. She pulled the whip back, trying to slow down, or even stop the arm's movement. She **did** manage to slow it down a fair amount, but it yanked her forward as it continued with its course.

The tip of the limb crashed against Seifer's jaw, causing the latter's head to slam against the floor from the intensity.

Hurrying to prevent the arm from doing anymore damage, Selphie swung her nunchaku in the air and brought it down upon it with force, just as Quistis uncoiled her whip and pulled it back in place. The cannon arm flew backwards, but never got detached from the body. The Trauma turned its attention towards Selphie, obviously planning to attack her next, but Zell was quick to act. The beast never saw the blond's clenched fist coming, making contact with its face. The second blow found its target on the same spot as well and shoved the enemy back just a couple of feet, but it was Zell's kick on the torso that sent it flying backwards much further.

Seifer slowly rose from the floor, clutching his aching jaw, eyes wide.

- _"Son-of-a…" _he muttered under his breath.

- _"**Now** will you listen to me?" _Quistis muttered at him, holding her whip with one hand, while outstretching her free arm.

- _"Fine…"_ Seifer grumbled, just as Quistis shouted.

- _"Tornado!"_

Out of nowhere, a rather strong breeze began to blow, that quickly began to turn even fiercer. The Trauma turned its mechanical head around frantically, trying to discover the source of the powerful wind that had mysteriously entered the room. The wind currents began to circle around the floor beneath the monster, creating a whirlwind that caused the tiles below to crack and swirl around in mid-air hysterically, carrying the Trauma along. The golden beast was suddenly shoved hard upon the cracked floor and the wind disappeared. The Trauma swayed around in mid-air for a few seconds, obviously quite injured from the Tornado spell.

Once regaining balance, the enemy didn't counter-attack, but brought the palms of its cannon-like arms close together. A small sphere of energy began to form in between them that steadily grew bigger. And out of the concentrated energy, a swirl of gold appeared. Within everyone's very eyes, the Trauma created what looked like a miniature version of itself that was now set free and hovered by its side.

Wanting to recover from the wound inflicted on his dignity, Seifer smirked and decided to try something he hadn't performed in a long time.

- _"Now, let me show **you** a neat little trick, my dear instructor…" _he said sinisterly, bringing his armed hand backwards _"Duck!"_

Quistis lowered her back down as she was told, and felt Seifer's arm brush by above her. To her utmost surprise, the moment the gunblade had come to arm-reach, Seifer released it. Hyperion sliced the air in front of it, swaying gracefully like a boomerang, heading right for the mini version of Trauma. The move was performed in less than a second, and Hyperion's blade, cut through the mini-Trauma's head. The blade swung on air, but the grip hit the little robot's metallic torso right before it came crumbling down to the ground. Hyperion's course changed, and it flew back towards their direction. Seifer raised one arm up and caught the handle, lowering his weapon back down again.

Quistis was left gaping at Seifer dumbfounded, as he wiggled his eyebrows playfully and allowed an ever-so-arrogant smirk to cross his features. The blonde shook her head in disbelief, grinning, getting ready for her next attack.

Zell and Selphie stepped up, arms both extended.

- _"Tornado!" _they shouted in unison.

The idea of using two combined spells that had proved to be the Trauma's weakness proved more than devastating. The wind that blew brought all four allies to their knees, struggling to prevent from being drawn in to the whirlwind as well. This time, the monster was thrust onto the floor with such force, that it split in two, shoving the Trauma into a deep crack, sending up a cloud of dust and scattered debris.

Selphie coughed and squinted, trying to make out what had happened to their foe; there was no sign of movement for a couple of minutes. Eventually, a screech was heard, a good sign that the Trauma was trying to break free. It thrust both arms upon the floor, pulling the remainder of its body out, with apparent difficulty. Its once shiny surface was now tattered and broken in many places, while sparks flew from the exposed circuits of its torso.

Slowly ascending back on mid-air, the Trauma seemed ready for some serious avenging. With a swift move, it dropped forward, pressing the intact part of the floor with its palms and brought its rear forward. Seifer saw in horror that even though he seemed more concerned about its limbs, it was the now exposed part of the beast that he should have been afraid of. Because **that** was apparently the cannon part of its body…

The hole on the lower part of the Trauma seemed to suck air from its environment at first, while a humming sound was being distinctly heard from its insides. The humming and sucking suddenly ceased and a golden flash appeared before everyone's eyes.

When Seifer re-opened his eyes, he found himself lying stomach-first on the floor, aching all over his body quite a bit, realizing that this could very well be what being run over by a truck could feel like…

- _"Ow…" _came Selphie's muffled moan of pain.

Taking no time to regard its fallen opponents, the Trauma brought its palms close together once again, and the familiar energy sphere began to form.

- _"Not…" _Zell panted _"…**another** one…" _He got up on his knees _"…of those little…" _He extended his arm as he ascended _"…**shits**!!! Firaga!"_

The Fire spell directed at the mini-Trauma did the job easily, bringing a second one down to the floor, and it was then that Zell realized that they were but a mere diversion to point their attacks towards them and ignore the real danger.

Quistis seemed to have also realized that and got up to her feet, bringing one arm forward as well.

- _"Tornado!"_

The spell gave all four of them some precious time to recover from the previous blow and regroup themselves, but it also did more significant damage to the Trauma. The latter lunged forward once again, this time heading towards Quistis.

Seifer clenched his still aching jaw **_'Not _this** **_time…' _**he thought.

Pushing Quistis aside, he stepped in front of the Trauma's course. When the beast was within reach, he raised one leg. His boot collided with the remainder of a torso of the monster and his knee bent from the velocity and force of his enemy. For the second time, Seifer was lying on his back, foot pressing against the machine above him. The Trauma repeated its previous attack pattern and raised one thick arm, but Seifer was prepared this time.

Tightening his grip on Hyperion, he brought it down and plunged it right among the exposed circuits. The Trauma came to an abrupt halt in mid-movement and convulsed once. Gunblade still jammed within it, he kicked it backwards and sat up on the floor, breathing heavily. All four watched the robotic creature begin to vibrate wildly in spasms, as thin electrical bolts began to devour its manufactured body.

It gave out one shrill screech and exploded on the spot, sending innumerable golden particles flying across the room. Seifer shielded his face with one arm and covered Quistis's body in reflex.

When the last clank of the metallic objects hitting the floor died out and rendered the room in heated silence, he looked up. His eyes widened.

- _"My Hyperion!" _he hissed.

He sprang up to his feet and made a run towards the destroyed Trauma, almost slipping on his way. He kneeled above it and began moving away metallic debris, wincing as a spark or two flew up from time to time. At last, he let out a sigh of relief, and retrieved his best friend, still intact. He swung it around a bit and sighed once again.

- _"Oh, thank Hyne it's alright…"_ he breathed out.__

- _"**Ahem**…"_

The tall blond turned around, and saw Quistis sprawled on the floor, glaring at him, arching an eyebrow. Seifer stood back up and ran to her side, grinning awkwardly. He took her gloved palm, dusted it off and gave it a peck. Selphie and Zell took their cue in making yet more retching sounds…

- _"And thank Hyne **you're** alright…"_ Seifer said, trying his best at a charming smile.

- _"I was only joking…" _Quistis said, chuckling.__

* * *

- _"Well, we've checked the left-hand door and that just leads to that elevator room," _said Irvine, walking down the stairs to the Main Hall _"And that's a dead-end. I say we go back to the room below the chandelier and move on from there."_

- _"OK, but what are our options from there?" _Rinoa spoke _"There were two doors. The one we opened led us back inside the Main Hall and then there's the second one."_

- _"Don't forget the hatch." _Squall added.__

- _"What hatch?" _Rinoa and Irvine asked in unison.__

- _"There was a hatch on the floor where we landed." _Squall explained _"It was a bit covered in dust, but noticeable enough if you looked a bit more carefully."_

- _"Alright then." _said Rinoa _"Let's get back to that room and we decide there what to choose."_

She hopped off the last stair and approached the entrance that stood on the left of the room, pushing the doors open. All three of them walked down the now familiar corridor, with the red carpet-coated floor and the ominous stone gargoyles lurking above them in the shadows. If the door on the other end of the hallway hadn't been left open, there would almost no light within the corridor to guide them, making the already daunting trip down to the other end even more chilling.

Rinoa shuddered as she accidentally brushed by a spider web with her left shoulder and rubbed it with her stone cold palm. Subconsciously, she quickened her step and approached the light source, coming from the ajar door. She pushed it the slightest bit and came face to face with the room they'd fallen into after their misfortunate accident with the chandelier. She walked towards the middle of the room, right between the two damaged beyond repair staircases. She squinted, looking at the floor, where she could now indeed make out the outline of the hatch Squall had been talking about. On her left, there lay their second option for an alternate route, a pair of double doors.

- _"Well… Here we are." _said Irvine _"What do we do?"_

- _"I say we go with the hatch." _said Rinoa _"Those doors will probably lead us deeper within the castle, so better check the floor below first."_

- _"And how do we know that there's even more road down below?"_ asked Squall. Rinoa shrugged.__

- _"Just a thought." _she said.__

- _"Either way, I agree. Let's check it out first before moving on." _said Squall _Irvine_

- _"Yeah, whatever. Let's do it."_ agreed the cowboy.__

The three of them approached different edges of the hatch, hooking their fingers beneath the tiny opening between the lid and the floor. Rinoa felt the dirt beneath the lid plunge under her fingernails and gave out a disgusted grimace.

- _"Not any cleaner than the rest of the castle, eh?" _Irvine said, chuckling.

- _"Even dirtier I daresay…" _Rinoa mumbled, shuddering.__

- _"On the count of three." _said Squall, bringing them both back to reality _"One… Two… THREE!"_

With all the might she could muster, Rinoa pulled up the lid. At first it didn't seem to budge the slightest bit, but under the combined forces of her and both men, it finally gave out a screech and got pulled up. The double lid plopped open, baring its soiled lower surface that was tainted by something greenish brown which Rinoa didn't know nor dare wonder what could be. The fall of the wooden lid brought a minor thud, as well as a noteworthy cloud of smoke.

Rinoa coughed and cleared the dust away from her face.

- _"If we ever…" _Cough _"Get out of this alive…" _More coughing _"I'm soaking myself in a bathtub for a week!"_

- _"That makes two of us…" _Irvine agreed. He was clearing out the air in front of him with his hat. Flipping it back on, he spoke again _"Do we dare?" _he said, motioning with his head towards the darkness that lingered beneath the lid.__

- _"We do…" _said Squall, resting a palm on the floor, aiding himself down the open hatch.__

He held on to the edge of the opening quite tightly, being mentally prepared for a possible fall. But his boots made contact with surface beneath. He hopped on the spot for a couple of seconds.

- _"Wood." _he said, and looked down below him, squinting _"There's a ladder leading all the way down. Come on."_

Rinoa watched Squall's head disappear below the floor and then saw Irvine follow Squall's lead, offering her a hand. She took it and carefully slid down the hatch. She ducked as she took the first few steps down, until her head disappeared from the upper floor as well.

She held on to the wooden railing, looking around the dimly lit room in interest. The wooden, spiral stairway led down to the stone floor below. Thankfully, there were no more visible doors or archways, meaning that if they found nothing inside, they could proceed to the upper floor again and move on. The walls and the greatest part of the floor were covered in brown wooden barrels.

- _"This must be some sort of wine cellar…" _Rinoa said _"Most of those old castles have at least one and it certainly looks like the one in my house…"_ she added_ "My **former** house." _she corrected immediately.

- _"Well **you** would know…" _said Irvine, sort of playfully _"**You** grew up among the riches, Princess. We are but humble soldiers who know not much apart from military Academies…"_

Squall gave a small chuckle at that, while Rinoa rolled her eyes, but wasn't really offended.

- _"Oh shut up…" _she retorted, continuing to look around _"My dad was a General; it's not like we were-"_

A small flash of light caught her attention among the shadows of a corner, but was gone as soon as it appeared. Rinoa frowned and shook her head.

- _"What is it?" _Squall asked, standing a few steps below her.

- _"Nothing…" _replied Rinoa, still frowning a bit, though _"Nothing."_

- _Nothing."_

The trio continued to descend until all of them reached the floor. The room was rather small and aside from the stairs and barrels, only a wooden table lay inside it, with a few pewter plates scattered upon its length and a candlestick on the side. A bottle stood right next to the candlestick and Squall picked it up. It was empty and had been so for what was most likely many decades. He brushed away some dust and a spider web and examined the long worn-out label. He couldn't possibly make out what it said, but there was no doubt it had once labeled the name of the drink contained inside. And most likely, said drink had been wine.

- _"You were probably right…" _he said to Rinoa _"Can't be anything more than a wine cellar. I guess we just lost time by trying to get down here. Oh well…" _he said, resting the bottle onto the table again.

**_I am Tri-Point…_**

****

**_Face my wrath for seeking thy sealed power…_**

All three of them slowly turned around. Squall's eyes slowly took in the sight of the beast standing before them.

- _"Or maybe not…" _he mumbled, hand slipping to the side of his belt, where his Lionheart lay.

The second Guardian the young SeeDs had come across, had form which came very to close to that of a dragon. Gray, orange and seemingly indestructible scales covered its entire body and its snout was identical to one a dragon might fashion. However, its body was horribly misshapen. Squall has the distant hunch that the ill-fated creature standing before them had once really been a dragon, but was mutilated horribly under Ultimecia's 'care'. The only part of its former body that had remained was most likely the head and torso, but there was an evident loss of any limbs whatsoever. Instead, three equally lengthed and shaped members protruded, all three fashioning a razor-sharp, needle-like claw at the tip.

Rinoa was the first one to step up in front, extending her right arm forward, hand outstretched.

- _"Blizzaga!" _she shouted.

A thin sliver of ice gray energy escaped her palm, directed straight at the beast. The Ice spell hit the Tri-Point square on the center of the torso and, slowly, a thick crust of ice began to form around it, emitting cold heat waves to the entire room. The creature remained still for a fair few seconds, before it began to inch its three limbs towards its body, creating thin cracks on the ice layer. With what was obviously tremendous force, the Tri-Point yanked all three members inwards harder, shattering the solid sheet of frost covering its torso. With a third move, it tightened the muscles on its limbs, smashing the remaining ice crust covering its body.

However, even with the struggle the Tri-point had put up to rid itself from the ice prison it had been trapped in, the spell seemed to have made no substantial damage to it.

But it **had** angered it, triggering a rather brutal counter-attack.

All three claws on the Tri-Point's limbs lit up, and what was unmistakably electricity began sizzling, dancing around them in glistening tongues of pure energy. The bolts intensified and glowed immensely, surging out to unite in the middle, right in front of the torso of the beast. There was a flash of lightning that rendered the three mercenaries' visions white for a split second, before all they knew was pain.

The source of concentrated lighting had split into three once again and had sped away with tremendous agility towards each and every one of them.

Squall felt his every cell ignite and awaken, his pulse picking up to delirious tempo, his teeth ready to shatter as he gritted them together in pain and the energy vibrating inside him. His body felt ready to explode and for the first time in his life, he was glad he had heeded Seifer's advice in junctioning magic to his defense. Otherwise, he feared that the damage inflicted on all of them would have been even twice as great.

He got shoved backwards along with his two peers and kneeled on the floor, breathing heavily.

- _"Holy…" _Irvine panted _"…Shit…"_

Anger began piling up within him, and Squall experienced first-hand what it felt like to have an action triggered by strong emotion. If only he could use his Limit Break right now…

Getting up to his feet with difficulty, he took a deep step forward, Lionheart grazing the stone floor, emitting sparks as it brushed by. He made a run for the Tri-Point, eyes narrowed and furious. When the enemy was in range of his weapon, he leapt onto the air, blade following his movement. Lionheart made contact with the creature's scales at the bottom of the torso and raced all the way up through flesh to scrape the chin of the Tri-Point's face.

It all happened in slow motion in Squall's eyes.

The monster threw its head back, letting out a shrill scream. The cobalt blade swung in the air and got pulled back with force, just as the beast's head moved back in place. The young gunbladist centered the weapons course and brought it straight down the middle of the Tri-Point's face. The second scream began to slowly die out as Squall's boots hit ground and the SeeD hopped backwards, sword still at the ready.

The counter-attack came even more rapidly this time, but Squall, who was still a fair few feet ahead of the others, received the full blow of it, while weaker thunder bolts hit his two allies. The thrust backwards was much rougher now, and for the second time this day, Squall found himself rolling backwards and lying back-first onto the floor, wincing in pain.

- _"Squall!" _Rinoa said in a choked whisper, making a move to run to his side.

- _"I'm fine!" _Squall snapped, voice forced out, motioning at her to remain in place.

Pursing his lips, Irvine pulled the cock of his shotgun and took a shot immediately, aiming for the very center of the Tri-Point's body. The massive Pulse Ammo bullet found its target and ripped through the foe's chest, creating a small explosion, shattering many a bone. The creature got shoved backwards in mid-air vehemently and hit the wall behind it, crashing barrels of wine that came splashing out and causing great pieces of plaster to peel off the wall and crumble down on the floor.

Behind a tall cloud of dust, a bluish flash appeared and, with a shriek, the Tri-Point came out charging them with yet another bolt attack, sporting a **very **apparent hollow spot on its chest. However, the dust clouded its vision a fair amount and the three thunders sped off a bit off target. Squall barely rolled to his side and out of the way, as the bolt hit the floor and cracked it open. Rinoa and Irvine moved away in time as well, ridding themselves of another painful assault.

When Rinoa regained her balance, she raised her arm once again, deciding to take another shot at casting magic. It was, after all, her strongest point.

- _"Firaga!" _she shouted, and a sphere of scorching mass formed before her palm.

She shoved it forcefully towards the monster's right shoulder, where it penetrated its body. The sphere grew larger, while rays of striking orange light surged out of its skin. A second explosion took place within the Tri-Point's body and covered the beast in flames. The latter let out an otherworldly scream; the Fire spell seemed to have taken its toll on it. With a sharp, strong shake, the Tri-Point extinguished the fire, but left apparent burn marks upon the entire surface of its body.

The enemy flew right towards its most recent attacker and wade a sharp move to bring one of its claws upon Rinoa. The girl rolled out of the way, escaping with only a scrape on her back and a grand rip on her duster, but she had already been preparing her attack. Being quick to notice the effect Fire apparently had on the beast, another Firaga spell was now hovering between the girl's fingers. The next fire sphere found its target on the Tri-Point's other shoulder.

This explosion sent the beast back and closer to its primary position. While Squall made an effort to get back to his feet, Irvine pulled the cock of Exeter once again, getting ready to aim.

But the monster was too quick for either of them and its perilous thunder attack came yet again.

Rinoa's eyes widened. Squall was still half on the floor, but his wounds were much graver than hers or Irvine's. He'd received a full blow of thunder just before and his fall had not been pretty either. Another attack could prove lethal. And worst of all, they would never be able to resurrect him in time…

Not thinking for a single second more, Rinoa dove to the floor grasping Squall by the shoulders and pinning him down again. The lighting bolts came once more, but Squall, under the protection of Rinoa's body received very little of its force. He hadn't even seen her land upon him, as his eyes had been forced back shut by the pulsating energy of electricity. Surprised by the faint effect it had on his body this time, he slid his eyes open and met with Rinoa's hair-curtained face.

The young Sorceress slowly raised her head up, locks parting slowly to reveal her face. Squall's eyes widened, as she gave him a weak and painful smile, then fell to her side, clutching her bare arms in pain.

Suddenly, a vast surge of energy, fueled yet again by anger, filled his body and brought him to his feet in a split second. He took his second lunge at the Tri-Point and found himself riding the monster's body. His arm seemed to have a mind of its own the moment it came down rapidly and pierced through the center of the foe's scull, spraying his face with pale yellow fluid. A drop fell on his lips; it tasted like blood. Lionheart cut through the beast's head and came out from the rear.

He never realized which came first; the shriek, the shock of electricity, or the sharp claw that blindly found its way through his right arm.

All he felt, was his own lips slightly rip on the edges from the scream he let out. But he didn't hear his voice. The world had gone mute and blank in a matter of a second. He didn't feel his back crash against the stone floor, or his body convulse from electrical power.

Having witnessed the entire scene, Rinoa began to painfully crawl her way towards his fallen form. With her aching arms, she cradled his face and pressed her forehead against his, as his body shuddered in spasms. She couldn't cure him, she couldn't help him, and the monster still hovered in mid-air.

Irvine brought Exeter before his eyes…

His finger closed around the trigger…

…Bang…

- _"I believe in one God…"_ Rinoa whispered.

The bullet found its way on the tip of the rightmost limb, shattering it to pieces…

The claw fell to the ground…

…Bang…

- _"…Father, ruler of all…"_

The leftmost limb…

The claw hit the floor…

…Bang…

- _"…Creator of the heavens and earth…"_

The bottom limb…

Third claw on the floor…

And screams… So many screams…

…Bang…

- _"…Of all that is visible and not…"_

One last scream was cut off when the Tri-Point's head got detached from its body and rolled onto the floor…

………………

…Silence…

**_You have fought well…_**

****

**_And it is my duty to unseal one of your powers…_**

****

**_Choose wisely…_**

- _"The **Supportive Magic** seal!" _Irvine shouted, not giving it a second thought.

**_Very well…_****__**

- _"NOW, RINOA!" _Irvine yelled.

- _"…Cura…" _

A single tear fell from her eyelashes.

A green aura surrounded Squall's trembling body, embracing it in warm, soothing light, calming it.

The tear splashed on the inner corner of Squall's eye.

The brown-haired boy frowned and took in a quiet, sharp breath.

Rinoa's head sprang up and her lips parted in a surprise and a warm smile. Squall opened his eyes with apparent difficulty and winced, letting out a soft groan. Irvine sighed in relief and ran a hand across his damp forehead.

The Tri-Point had disintegrated into thin air and was no longer in sight.

- _"You alright, man?" _Irvine asked.

- _"Yeah…" _Squall croaked out, trying to sit up with Rinoa's aid _"I… I'm OK…"_

- _Irvine__, did you get hurt?" _Rinoa asked, turning her attention to the cowboy for a second _"Can you cure yourself?"_

- _"Yeah, don't worry hon." _he reassured her _"I've got many Curas and Curagas with me."_

- _"Don't take a Curaga immediately." _Rinoa warned _"Cast a Cura first, get a few minutes' rest and then go with the Curaga."_

- _"Alright, alright…" _Irvine said, chuckling _"Hey, better call the others. See how they're doing and inform them on the seal we've just unlocked."_

- _"Good call." _said Squall, nodding, slipping his hand into his pocket _"Hey…" _he frowned _"Where-"_

- _"It's over there." _Rinoa said, pointing at a spot on the floor, where a small black contraption lay.

Irvine walked over to it and scooped it up, opening the lid.

- _"Lucky it fell from your jacket man…" _he said, examining it, realizing that it was fully functioning _"It would have been toasted if it had stayed in there any longer."_

- _"Could you," _Squall winced_ "Make the call?"_

- _"Sure."_ said Irvine, finding Seifer's number in the catalogue.

Rinoa watched him for a couple of seconds more, while he brought the phone to his ear and rubbed his shoulder with his free hand, the green aura of a Cura engulfing him. She turned her attention back to Squall. She placed her palms on top of one another on Squall's arching chest.

- _"I'm going to cast a Curaga now, OK?" _she warned him _"So hold your breath."_

Nodding, Squall did as he was told. The spell's effect brought warmth to his body, but not as much as the touch of her palm did… He watched Rinoa squint and then blink once, letting out a sigh.

- _"Phew… Gonna have to wait a bit till I cast one on me…" _she said, chuckling a bit.

Casting of multiple spells in consecutive manner weakened the body for a certain amount of time, and Rinoa had done her share of casting in the past ten minutes. Three spells in the fight and now two curative ones on him that had drained her even more.

- _"Did you heal yourself?" _he asked her.

- _"Not yet." _she said _"I will though in a bit."_

- _"I'll cure you, I've got-"_

- _"You're exhausted." _Rinoa cut him off _"I'll do it myself in a bit, there's no worry."_

- _"But I feel fine. I-"_

- _"I'm not hearing a word." _she interrupted him again, in a serious tone that meant no arguing. He'd never heard her speak like that before…

He watched as she moved her neck side to side, little cracks coming out. She rubbed her sore temples, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Squall's gaze traveled to her bare arms, where more than few burn marks were visible, undoubtedly caused by the numerous lighting spells that had hit her body. Her once beautiful, alabaster skin was now marred by wounds that he knew wouldn't heal soon. He felt guilty…

- _"You shouldn't have gotten in front of me…" _he muttered, head lowering to stare at the floor _"You got yourself hurt…"_

Rinoa smiled at him.

- _"You're forgetting something very important, Squall…" _she said.

- _"What's that?" _he asked, looking up at her.

- _"I'm a Sorceress." _she said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world _"Not only can I cast more powerful spells, but my tolerance against them is much higher."_

- _"Still…" _Squall trailed off, shrugging.

He grabbed his right arm with one hand, frowning a bit. Rinoa, noticing this, grabbed the hem of his jacket and lowered it down to expose his arms.

She examined the wound on his right arm that was slowly, but visibly healing second by second and grimaced as she touched it gingerly.

- _"Ouch…" _she said in sympathy _"That must've hurt…"_

- _"A bit…" _Squall said, shrugging, his own gaze locked on the wound as well.__

- _"The spells will help," _Rinoa said, pulling his jacket further down _"But they can't work wonders… We'll have to tie that up." _she said, removing the leather garment entirely from Squall's body.__

She took of one of her wrist-warmers out and split it in length.

- _"Hey, what are you doing?!" _Squall protested, trying to stop her _"You love those!"_

- _"Oh, hush…"_ she said, continuing to rip the baby-blue piece of clothing to thin ribbons.__

She took one and began tying it around his arm and went on doing so with the rest.

- _"Aw, Rinoa…" _Squall said, sighing _"Now it's all ripped and bloody…"_

- _"Squall." _she said, looking at him straight in the eye _"I can always buy another pair of those once all this is over. But I can't go and by myself another 'you' now, can I?"_

Squall's lips parted and he felt his cheeks burn. And when Rinoa gave him one of her turning-knees-to-jelly smiles, he was certain his face got flushed crimson.

He didn't reply, just turned his gaze back on the wound that Rinoa continued to pamper…

* * *

**_You have fought well…_**

****

**_And it is my duty to unseal one of your powers…_**

****

**_Choose wisely…_**

****

****

****

- _"I choose to break the **Supportive Magic** usage seal." _said Seifer immediately.

**_This power has already been unsealed…_**

****

****

****

Seifer frowned in surprise and he could see he wasn't the only one.

- _"Already been unsealed?" _he wondered out loud, turning to look at the others. Quistis just shrugged, indicating she had no idea either.

- _"Maybe the others encountered another Guardian and unsealed it." _Zell suggested.__

- _"Well why the hell didn't they call?!" _Seifer snapped _"We could have used curative spells during the entire battle!" _He shook his head _"Never mind… I say we go with resurrection next. Agreed?"_

- _"Yeah, we'll unlock defensive magic later on." _Selphie said, nodding _"Go ahead."_

Seifer turned towards the fallen foe once again and spoke.

- _"I choose to unseal the **Resurrection** seal." _

**_Very well…_****__**

****

****

****

- _"Now let me get that idiot on the phone and give him a piece of-"_ Seifer began, but was interrupted by the ringing sound of his cell-phone _"Speak of the devil…" _he said, and opened the lid _"Why the **hell** didn't you inform us about the second seal, Pubes?!" _he shouted at the phone, not even giving Irvine the chance to utter a word.

- _"It's __Irvine__… And nice to hear from you too…" _came Irvine's worn-off voice _"We just now unlocked it. That's why I called you. I take it you broke another seal?"_

- _"Yeah, I chose resurrection." _Seifer replied _"Why are you calling from Puberty-Boy's phone?"_

- _"He's getting patched up by Rinoa." _replied Irvine _"What do we choose next?"_

- _"We here agreed to go with the defensive magic one." _said Seifer _"We've got support magic and offensive magic now, plus resurrection, so we should be good."_

- _"OK then. Whoever reaches a Guardian first goes with that." _Irvine agreed _"And if the same situation occurs, the others should go for the Limit Break seal."_

- _"Agreed." _said Seifer _"Everyone OK there?"_

- _"Yeah, we're all fine. Had a rough fight, but we'll be OK now that we can heal ourselves. Just resting a bit and then we'll go on." _replied Irvine _"What have you covered so far?"_

- _"Only the first room." _said Seifer _"The doors were locked and there was this weird-ass puzzle we had to solve before we moved on. You?"_

- _"We checked the door on the left-hand side, right across the on you entered." _Irvine began_ "Turns out it led to some sort of elevator room, but we couldn't operate it on our own. The other part of the elevator is on the second floor. So let us know if you come across it."_

- _"OK. That's all?"_

- _"No, we went back to the room where you found us." _Irvine went on _"You can access it through that doorway in the Main Hall. We opened a hatch there and went down to the wine cellar. That's were we found the Guardian. And now we're going back up to try the other pair of doors there."_

- _"So we're clear with the front part of the castle?"_ said Seifer.

- _"Aside from the elevator, yes. Clear." _

- _"Alright, then. We'll talk again later." _said Seifer, terminating the call.

He slipped the phone back inside his trench coat pocket and turned to look at his team.

- _"What did they say?" _asked Quistis.

- _"They're all fine." _Seifer replied _Irvine__ says they've found some sort of elevator, but they need us too to operate it, so they moved on ahead. Aside from that, all the front part of the castle's clear. Plus, they've unsealed one power as well, meaning that we've got both supporting magic and resurrection to our side now."_

- _"So three down and five more to go?" _asked Selphie.

- _"Exactly." _Seifer said, nodding.

- _"Better get a move on, then." _Zell said, getting back up to his feet.

Seifer offered a hand to Quistis and led the way towards the double doors they'd been trying to open for so long through the puzzle. His gloved palms encased the handles and he turned around to face the others.

- _"Now we'll know if that whole painting charade actually paid off…" _he said and pressed the handles down.

The doors creaked open and Seifer pushed them aside, smiling, letting go of the breath he'd been holding.

- _"Finally…" _he said _"Come on, let's move ahead."_

* * *

**A/N:** Phew, that was a handful, eh?

_ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':_

_More of our heroes' quest within the __castle__ of __Ultimecia__…_


	42. Chapter 41: The castle amidst the barren...

**A/N:Peeks into **Erm… Hey guys… Heh, remember me? Or this story:insert awkward grin here:

There is absolutely no excuse for such a long delay. I mean, there **is** excuse for part of it, but I can't hide the fact that another part was due to laziness. And for that, I'm terribly sorry. I suppose that in between a horrible semester, protesting (don't ask, seriously…), and exams catching up with me, I made an effort to have a life outside of the Internet and I marginally succeeded, but I then forgot about my 'on-line life'. Heh, figures…

Anyway, I'm mostly sorry for the delay since this isn't a chapter with anything new. The poor gang has been trapped in that fucking castle for months now, heh… Ah, well… I tried to change a lot to make this as interesting a read as possible. I really hope I succeeded even in the least bit. This chapter is… massive, to put it simply. It stands in 21k words or so and it would have been almost 25, but I decided to get on with it and post this; I'd stalled long enough. Surprisingly enough, I only managed to cover two fights in this monstrous installment, since there were other things that needed to be taken care of. I'd promised another two, but they had to be moved to the next chapter as well. Fans of the characters in Squall's team, sorry but you won't see them in battle in this chapter, because of the sequence I decided to follow. I ask for your patience once again, cause our favorite brown-haired Commander and co have a lot more to show in future fights.

My very warm thanks to **Chris** for his always valuable help, and a very big welcome to new readers. As always, my LJ (URL to which can be found in my profile) will provide a bit more insight on this chapter, as well as my proper thanks to all of you who were kind enough to review.

All that having been said, I hope you enjoy this one. I think one of the best battle scenes I've written is in here. Which made me realize I've been watching too much Naruto for my own good…

Enjoy!

**_Last chapter summary:_**_ Finally reaching Ultimecia's whereabouts, our heroes find themselves trapped inside her medieval-looking castle, with their powers crippled and their fears greater than ever…_

* * *

**_A second chance_**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Chapter 41: The castle amidst the barren flower field – Part 2**

* * *

Zell let the doors swing closed behind him, bringing the rear of Seifer's team. 

The room they entered this time was much less well-lit than the gallery room. He descended the few steps before him, approaching her peers, who were looking around the new environment. A small stairway right ahead of them led one level below, while four rusty-looking armors wielding axes stood in pairs on either side of the stairway, silent guards of what was hidden below. Two other sets of staircases unfolded on the sides of the lower entry, leading to the upper floor, where the threshold of an archway could be seen. A gorgeous vitro of stained glass colored in shades of maroon, sky blue and white stood in the very middle of the wall on the topmost floor, while two smaller ones stood on either side of the threshold.

_"Up or down?" _Quistis asked.

Seifer examined the room for a couple seconds more in silence before replying.

_"I'd say down, but I want to take a look at what's behind the archway up there." _he said, pointing towards the upper floor _"Let's just check it out for a sec and then take the path down."_

With those words, he walked over to the bottom of the leftmost stairway and ascended it, closely followed by the rest of his teammates. Subconsciously, he tightened his trench coat around him the moment he stepped through the threshold; a strong wind had blown upon his face. It was obvious that this was an open area and they soon came to confirm it with their own eyes. A long passageway lay ahead for many a foot. A great portion of what used to be the ceiling was missing, while small piles of debris were scattered along the way. A solitary candle, resting upon a candlestick embedded on the wall was flickering madly, but somehow managed to remain lit.

Selphie jogged a bit ahead and climbed upon one of those piles, resting her palm upon the crumbled wall of the passageway.

_"Oh wow…" _she whispered, letting out a low whistle.

The rest soon joined her, curious as to what it was that she had seen.

Quistis looked over the shorter girl's shoulder, her lips parting in awe. Through the murky clouds of fog, a tall tower stood out, plunging through the dimness to non-visible heights above. The distant noise of a clock chiming was heard, and the blonde instructor was more than certain that it came from that tower far ahead. The echo of the sound brought chills down her spine. The breeze blowing her locks away, creating howling noises when reflected upon the walls did nothing to help ease her apprehension either. Standing on tiptoes, she tried to make out what rested below the clouds of fog. No matter how much she squinted, she came across nothing.

She was suddenly struck by the magnitude of it all; the castle, the powers of the enemy they were going up against… Had they been foolish and overly confident to believe they stood the slightest chance against Ultimecia? This day had already been too tiring and full of distress, to give her the least bit of incentive to go on. And it was only the beginning… What would become of Xu and everyone else who had stayed behind in order for them to move on ahead? What more was in store for them behind the walls of this cold castle? Would they ever make it in time to save everyone, or were they already too late?

Her thoughts were interrupted by their pair of arms that wrapped around her waist and lowered her down. She hadn't even noticed that Selphie and Zell had moved on ahead. Seifer slowly let her back on the ground, sliding his palms up her hands.

_"Are you OK?" _he asked her in concern.

_"Yes." _Quistis replied, nodding _"I just got lost in my thoughts…"_

_"Are you cold?" _Seifer asked, rubbing her loosely gloved arms in warmth _"Do you want my coat?"_

_"No, I'm fine." _she replied with a small smile.

She rested her palms upon his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes for a few seconds in silence.

_"What? What's wrong?" _Seifer asked again, cradling her hands with his own.

_"Nothing." _Quistis replied, shaking her head in negation _"Just… Don't… Don't leave me, OK?"_

_"Leave you?" _Seifer said, frowning.

_"I mean… I just…" _She sighed _"I want to be close to you now, that's all. I don't feel safe here."_

Seifer nodded and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, embracing her tightly. When he pulled away, he kissed her forehead and gave her one more soft kiss on the lips, raking a hand through her hair.

_"It'll be OK."_ he said, in what he hoped was a reassuring tone _"We'll make it. Xu will make it, too. You know better than I do that she doesn't give up easily…"_ Quistis nodded feebly and sighed _"Now come on," _Seifer said, taking her hand _"Zell and Selphie have already moved ahead."_

The two blondes crossed the rest of the passageway and ducked under the threshold of the archway before them. They found Zell and Selphie already inside, checking out the room.

It was in much better condition that the path outside; at least this one was covered from the cold outside by a ceiling. The small balcony they were standing upon led over to what was unmistakably the top part of a lift, while the bottom part of it lay on the floor below. Right across them, as open doorway was visible, obviously leading to yet another room. Seifer's brows knitted as something that Irvine had spoken of earlier dawned on him.

Apparently, everyone seemed to be thinking the exact same, but Zell voiced it first.

_"Do you think this is the elevator the others talked about?" _he asked out loud.

_"Seems like it is." _Selphie said, nodding _"I mean… How many of those can there be inside the castle?"_

_"Should we call them?" _Quistis asked, looking up at Seifer.

_"Obviously…" _Seifer said, letting go of her hand and reaching down for his cell phone _"Hopefully, this will be the only one…" _he added, dialing Squall's number.

* * *

Squall was the first one to emerge from the open hatch leading down to the cellar, closely followed by Irvine and Rinoa. When all three of them had stepped outside, they placed the lid of the hatch back on. Irvine let out a weary sigh and scanned the dim-lit room once again. His eyes fell upon an object none of them had noticed the first time around. 

_"Hey, what's that?" _he asked, pointing towards the object.

_"Looks like…" _Squall said, frowning and approached it _"A lever."_ he said.

He bent down on one knee and ran his gloved fingers over the handle. His hands left a black trail behind, seeping the dust off the lever.

_"What do you think it does?" _Rinoa asked, approaching Squall, bending right above him.

_"No idea." _Squall replied _"Let's try it out."_

They all grasped the handle firmly at Squall's command.

_"On three." _Squall said _"One, two… three!"_

The lever moved with tremendous ease, making it clear that even a single person would have been able to move it. The moment it shifted to the other edge, a clicking sound was heard form above them. Irvine's eyes rolled upwards and stared at the chandelier.

_"**Don't** tell me all we had to do was push this damned lever in order for that thing to stay in place…" _he muttered between gritted teeth.

Rinoa groaned and clutched her still numbly aching back.

_"At least we can cross it now…" _Squall said, shrugging _"Come on, let's g-" _he began to say, letting go of the lever.

The moment it was set free, however, the lever sprang back to its original place and the clicking sound was heard again. Irvine frowned.

_"What the…?" _he mumbled and pushed the lever back.

Just like before, it budged with very little amount of force. And then the click one again. But when he experimentally let go, it immediately swooshed back in place. Pursing his lips, Irvine gripped it with both hands tightly and shoved it backwards with all the strength it could muster. And, as expected, the same thing happened once again. The cowboy was beginning to get royally pissed off and took it out on the lever, thrusting the lever to the other side again, and again, and again, and-

_"Stop it, will you!" _Squall snapped, getting a hold of the lever _"It's obviously either broken or it won't work that way." _he spat at him _"We need to think of something else."_

Irvine finally let go and let out a low growl in frustration.

_"So now what?" _he asked.

_"Maybe we should move on ahead and come back to try again later." _Rinoa suggested.

_"I guess so." _said Squall _"Let's try the back d-"_

_Ring-Ring_

Squall looked at his jacket pocket. His cell-phone was ringing.

_"The others." _said Rinoa.

_"They got to beat another Guardian so fast?" _Irvine wondered out loud.

_"You don't think something's happened, do you?" _Rinoa asked, anxiety obvious in her voice.

Not stalling another second, Squall reached into his pocket and answered the call.

_"Yes?"_

_"Seifer here." _came the blond's voice through the other end.

_"Anything wrong?" _Squall asked, frowning.

_"No everything's fine," _Seifer said _"But I think you should come and check this out. We're at this elevator thing you mentioned before. Provided that this is the only one, of course…"_

_"Small room?" _Squall said_ "With a high ceiling, two balconies with golden railing?"_

_"That's the one."_

_"We'll be right over." _said Squall, terminating the call.

He turned and faced Irvine and Rinoa.

_"They've found the elevator room."_

* * *

Seifer was leaning against the railing, head buried in between the cleft of his crossed arms, while Quistis rested her head against his shoulder. Zell and Selphie were sprawled on the red carpet of the second floor balcony, backs leaning against the railing, both yawning. Soon, footsteps were heard from the distance. Seifer's head perked up. He watched as the figures of Squall, Irvine and Rinoa stepped through the threshold and looked around in search of them. 

_"Up here." _Quistis called.

All three heads of the smaller group looked up to the balcony.

_"Finally found your way over here?" _Seifer sneered, rising up to full height.

_"What did you think we were going to do?" _Squall retorted _"Fly here?"_

_"Would've spared us of a few moments of dire boredom…"_ the blond replied, shrugging.

_"**Irvyyyyyy**!"_

Seifer grimaced and plunged one finger inside his ringing ear to stir it clear, when Selphie rushed to the balcony to take a better look at her favorite cowboy.

_"Hey darlin'…" _Irvine reciprocated with a smile and a tip of his hat.

_"Time to reunite the couple, I guess…" _Rinoa said from below, grinning.

_"Yeah. I bet Commander Puberty could use the extra help, eh?" _Seifer said, smirking.

_"Maybe we could concentrate on how to work the elevator first?" _Squall said, sarcasm dripping from his own voice as well.

_"What's there to think about?" _Seifer said _"You just get into the bottom booth, we get into the other one and it moves. Doesn't require a tremendous amount of brain cells to crack that code…"_

_"Then go ahead and get in!" _Squall snapped, moving towards the lower booth with his team.

When all three of them had stepped inside, Seifer's team took their cue in entering the top booth. The counterweight of the heavier team moved the top booth to the first floor and the lower one to the second. The smaller group moved inside the next room through the ajar door immediately.

Rinoa entered first, coming face to face with a rather claustrophobic round room. Its whole interior was covered with decaying wooden selves, filled in their entirety by books that seemed to be beyond plain ancient. Rinoa had the feeling that a mere touch at the pages would send them scattering in the air in tiny particles. But apart from the book-swarming selves the room was empty.

_"That's it?" _Rinoa asked in disappointment _"We went through all this trouble just for an empty room?"_

_"I dunno, Rin…" _Irvine said, entering the room while scratching the back of his head _"I don't think ol' Ultimecia would've left that room here hangin'… There's gotta be something to be done here."_

_"I agree." _said Squall _"We should just look around and see if we find anything useful. Like a hint or something."_

_"There's nothing in here but books…" _Rinoa said, shaking her head.

_"Then that's where we should look at." _Squall said, shrugging.

_"Alright…" _said Irvine, glancing around him.

His eyes fell upon a ladder leaning against the side of one of the bookcases. It led up to a second floor with very low ceiling. And to no-one's surprise, more nooks lay up there in selves. Doing a few quick calculations, Irvine counted twelve different compartments on both floors. Each compartment was divided into twenty five more; five across and five up. And there were about six books in each one. Which measured up to…

_"…Approximately one thousand eight hundred books…" _Irvine mumbled.

Squall and Rinoa paused for a moment, both looking around the numerous bookcases as well, only now realizing the magnitude of the work that had to be done.

_"So…" _Irvine said, in a forced nonchalant tone _"Where do we start?"_

* * *

Seifer was leaning against a wall, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently. He glanced at his watch. They had been inside that room for more than a quarter of an hour and all that could be heard were quiet flipping noises **_'What the hell are they doing in there for so long!'_**

Selphie sighed and allowed her body to slip down the fall and onto the floor. Bored to no end, Seifer stood back up and looked up at the balcony of the second floor.

_"HEY!" _he yelled _"ANY CHANCE YOU'LL BE OUTTA THERE BEFORE WE ALL GROW WHITE HAIR!"_

There was a minute's silence, right before Rinoa emerged to the balcony, rubbing her eyes.

_"What?" _she said with a sigh.

_"What the hall have you been doing up there all this time!" _Seifer growled.

_"Searching…" _Rinoa replied wearily.

_"For what?" _Zell asked.

_"Something…" _Rinoa said, shrugging _"Anything…"_

_"Are you fucking kidding me!" _Seifer hissed at her _"If there's nothing up there then get the hell back down!"_

_"There are tons of books inside and nothing else." _Rinoa replied _"But we figured this room wouldn't be up there for nothing. There has to be something important inside."_

_"No, the room's not up here for nothing…" _Seifer said, shaking his head _"IT'S UP THERE TO STALL IDIOTS LIKE YOU THREE AND MAKE THEM LOSE THE BIG PICTURE!"_

_"Why don't you stop yelling and sneering and make yourself helpful for once!" _Rinoa snapped _"We could use some help, you know…"_

_"Erm… How many books exactly we talkin' about?" _Zell asked.

_"Well…" _Rinoa grimaced, hesitating _"About… Eighteen hundred…?" _she said, biting her bottom lip.

Everyone's eyebrows arched up skywards. Seifer scoffed.

_"Good luck going through them all…" _he said, grabbing Quistis's arm and making a move to leave the room _"We're gonna go monster huntin'…"_

_"Seifer…" _Quistis scolded, getting free from his grip. She turned and looked back at Rinoa _"Is there some sort of… Pattern? Or anything that connects groups of books?"_

_"I don't think so…" _Rinoa replied, shaking her head in negation _"Why?"_

_"I just don't think that Ultimecia would want us to go through each and every book." _the blonde replied _"It's too time consuming. And she's shown her will to fight us. I believe there's something we have to figure out before going through any books."_

_"Like what?" _Selphie asked.

_"I don't know…" _Quistis replied, shrugging.

_"I don't know if it helps at all," _Rinoa began _"But… All the books have titles written in Centraic." _

Quistis's fair eyebrows cocked at the sound of that.

_"All of them?" _Quistis asked.

_"Well… All the ones I've scanned, yes." _Rinoa replied.

The blonde Instructor shared a look of understanding with her peers.

_"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" _Zell said.

_"That it's connected with the gallery puzzle?" _Selphie piped in.

_"Might be." _Seifer said, shrugging.

_"We'd better go up and take a look as well." _Quistis suggested.

_"No can do." _Seifer said _"We won't all be able to get back down."_

_"Alright, then I'll go." _Quistis stated.

_"OK." _Seifer said shrugging.

Both blondes walked towards the balcony, standing right below it.

_"What? What's going on?" _Rinoa asked _"Do you know something?"_

_"We might." _Quistis replied _"I'm coming up to take a look as well. Seifer?" _she turned and looked at him, asking for some help up to the balcony.

Seifer leaned in to her ear.

_"Spread your legs…" _he whispered, grinning mischievously.

Quistis shot him a semi-poisonous glare and rolled her eyes, spreading the opening of her legs. The tall blond kneeled down to the floor and ducked under her skirt, then rose up to full height with ease, Quistis now sitting on top of his shoulders. Seifer walked close to the railing securing the booth that was now on top and held both his hands up.

_"Hold on to me and try to get up." _he said.

Quistis held his gloved palms tightly and, carefully, placed one foot upon his left shoulder. She wobbled a bit on the spot.

_"C'mon, Quis." _Seifer urged her _"I'm not gonna drop ya."_

_"Promise?" _Quistis said, a bit sarcastically.

She placed her other foot on his right shoulder and slowly, tried to rise up to her feet. She made it, and immediately made a grab for the railing. Seifer grabbed her calves.

_"OK, now I'm gonna hoist you up. Read-?"_ he began.

_"What?" _Quistis said, looking down at him _"What are you grinning at?"_

_"Just enjoying the view…" _Seifer said chuckling.

Quistis pursed her lips and stepped upon his head, earning a protest from the blond. She pulled herself up from the railing and climbed it with ease. Seifer rubbed his soiled hair grimacing and watched her as she made her way towards the balcony railing.

_"Careful…" _he warned _"Careful!" _he snapped when he saw her momentarily slip.

_"I'm fine." _Quistis said dignified, crossing over the side and onto the balcony.

She followed Rinoa inside the room, where Irvine and Squall already were, skimming through books in boredom. Quistis took a moment to look around the room.

_"Oh my…" _she mumbled _"You really weren't kidding when you said about eighteen hundred books…"_

_"Nope." _said Rinoa, sighing.

Quistis approached one of the dozen bookcases and leaned down to read the titles of the books. Rinoa was right; all of them had titles in Centraic.

_"There is a gallery inside the castle…" _Quistis mumbled, while looking at more titles _"All the names of the paintings were in Centraic, so we thought there might be a connection…"_

Irvine let out a sigh and closed the book he was so far trying to read.

_"This is no use…" _he said, shaking his head in disbelief _"I can't understand a word of this…"_

_"Don't open them." _Quistis said _"Just look at the titles for now."_

_"And do what?" _Squall asked.

_"I don't know…" _Quistis shrugged, looking at the ladder _"See if they ring any bells… Me and Rinoa will take the top selves."_

The two girls ascended the small wooden ladder and began searching among the clouds of dust that rose every time they tried to clear off the spine of a book. They had been searching for more than ten minutes, when Quistis noticed something **_'Infinitas… Lunaris Copiae… Cado Magnus… Inundantia… Wait. Inundantia? Where have I heard this before… ? Inundantia… Inundantia… Ignus, Inundantia, Iudicum… The paintings! There was a painting called Inundantia in the gallery!'_**

Quickly, the girl pulled the book out of the compartment.

_"What?" _said Rinoa, eagerly _"Did you find something!"_

_"I might have…" _Quistis said, grinning, taking the large book in her arms.

The title _'Inundantia' _was written across the top half, in rusty bronze letters. Quistis pulled the large grey cover open. But instead of finding what should be the front page, the book split open in two. It had no pages. It was completely hollow inside. Rinoa squeezed Quistis's shoulders in anticipation and bit her bottom lip, as the blonde dipped her gloved fingers into the small dune of grey dust that lay inside. Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide; her fingers had closed around **something**. She pulled it out and shook the dust away, revealing what appeared to be a heavy, silver key.

Rinoa let out a delighted shriek and gripped Quistis around the neck in a death squeeze.

_"You did it!" _she squealed.

_"Did what!" _Irvine called form below.

_"She found something!" _Rinoa exclaimed in glee _"A key!"_

_"Bring it down." _Squall called.

Both girls climbed down the ladder, Quistis still holding the key she'd just discovered inside the book. She held it out in front of the expectant faces of Irvine and Squall and saw delight paint itself upon their faces as well. Well… In Squall's case, it was a smile rather wide for his own standards.

_"Thank Hyne!" _Irvine breathed out _"I don't think I could've handled another minute in here…"_

_"Are we sure that's all we're looking for?" _the ever-so-practical Squall asked.

_"Hopefully." _Quistis said, shrugging _"But I honestly don't think it's worth staying here any longer. If we get stuck, we can always come back."_

_"I second that." _Rinoa piped in over Quistis's shoulder.

_"Alright then." _Squall said, nodding _"Let's get a move on."_

They exited the room and headed towards the elevator booth, where they all got in. It descended and brought them all back on the first floor.

_"Well!" _Selphie said eagerly.

_"We found what we were looking for." _Squall said _"Most likely."_

_"You mean **she** found what we were looking for." _Irvine corrected, motioning towards Quistis's direction.

_"Quistis saved the day?" _Seifer asked, smirking _"Why am I not surprised?" _he said, grinning at her, once she approached. Quistis beamed at him.

_"So whaddya find?" _Zell asked.

_"This." _Quistis said, holding up the key for everyone to see _"A key. But no idea whatsoever about what it unlocks."_

_"Who's gonna hold on to it?" _Rinoa asked the entire group.

Squall and Seifer looked at each other. The blond shrugged first.

_"Be my guest." _he said _"If we come across a door that we can't unlock we'll give you a call and test it out." _

_"Alright then." _Squall said, taking the key Quistis handed him.

He examined it briefly, noticing an elegant 'I' carved upon the head of the key.

_"There's a letter carved on the head." _Squall said, looking up to meet Quistis's gaze _"An 'I'."_

_"An 'I'?" _Quistis repeated _"Well, I did find it inside a book called 'Inundantia'." _she said.

_"Inundantia?" _Squall said, arching an eyebrow _"What does the mean?"_

_"Flood." _Rinoa piped in.

_"Flood, eh?" _Squall said, taking one last look at the keyand placing it into his jacket pocket _"So… Do we split again?"_

_"Yeah. Take Selphie with you this time." _Seifer replied _"I get the feeling she'd like to come." _he said, grinning at the petite brunette.

Selphie grinned and hugged Irvine, who gave her a peck on the forehead. Zell, however, didn't seem much too eager to follow this plan.

_"Can't I come instead of Selphie?" _he asked Squall, throwing Seifer a quick glance.

_"Ohhhhh no." _Seifer said before Squall could answer, wrapping an arm around Zell's neck in a headlock _"Zelly is staying with __me.__" _he added, winking at him.

Everyone chuckled, and even Squall couldn't suppress a grin.

_"You heard the man." _he addressed Zell _"Let's get going."_ he said, and moved ahead with his team towards the exit.

Zell's eyes snapped open.

_"Squall! YO! SQUALL!" _he yelled at the slowly disappearing from sight Commander _"Don't leave me with **him**, man! SQUALL! C'MON, MAN! **SQUAAAAALL**! DAMN YOU!I'M NOT GONNA FORGET THIS!" _

* * *

Squall's team exited the room below the chandelier through the northern door. 

They came across the first outdoors region of Ultimecia's Castle that they'd seen. A circular fountain stood in the middle of a patio, a cool spray of water surging upwards from its middle. The tiled pathway split into two different ones, the first leading straight ahead and through a pair of closed doors upon the main building, while the other span out to the side, leading under a small gazebo of sorts. Squall followed the curving path first without voicing his decision to anyone, but they followed him without questions. The path led to a dead-end and was so far the only location inside the castle with no apparent purpose. There was nothing under the gazebo, aside from a broken cart and a hole sealed with bars, a creepy gargoyle sculpted on the wall right above it, striking a rather menacing pose.

_"Nothing here then…" _Squall spoke _"Let's try the other route."_

All four of them left the empty area and retraced their steps back in front of the fountain. Selphie, who was temporarily leading the group, pushed the doors that led into the main building again open. No sooner had she taken a step inside, than she let out a shrill shriek and backtracked in tremendous speed.

_"Selphie, wha-?" _Zell began, bewildered.

But the girl didn't seem eager to stop. She didn't even look behind her, until her calves collided with the stone fountain and she lost her balance, falling inside the chilling water. It **did** manage to bring her back to her senses, however…

_"And now I'm wet…" _she said, sulking.

_"Selphie, what did you see in there?" _Squall asked her, arching an eyebrow. The girl swallowed audibly.

_"A… **thing**." _she muttered.

_"Not very illuminating, honey." _Rinoa said, grinning awkwardly.

_"It's this… murky… moving… purple… **cloud** of something!" _Selphie said, struggling to find the words _"Look, I **know** what I saw!"_ she protested, once seeing the look on everyone's faces.

She tried to steady her hands onto the slippery surface of the fountain under the water, while the rest exchanged puzzled glances. Her fingers suddenly closed around something. She screwed her face into a curious grimace and picked up the slightly heavy object. Thick droplets of water trickled from it the moment she brought it out of the fountain and the moonlight made it gleam as it reflected on its metal golden surface.

_"Hey, it's a key!" _Selphie said gleefully, momentarily forgetting her soaked state and the dark cloud inside the room.

_"Another one?" _Squall asked, frowning _"Oh well… Just make sure it stays in your pocket at all times. We may need it later on."_

_"Alrighty…" _Selphie said, letting out a slight groan as she pushed herself up to her feet.

Irvine took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders as she wrung her drenched sundress damp.

_"You OK Sefie?" _he asked gently.

_"Oh, thanks Irvy!" _she said grinning, slipping her arms through the overlarge coat _"I'm fine."_

_"Let's go check out that…**thing**__ then." _Squall somewhat quipped.

The quartet moved towards the double doors once again and their leader was the first to push them open and step inside, always alert for what could be hiding behind them. His brows knitted together once he got a full view of the room.

The 'shadow' Selphie had spoken of was indeed there. It appeared to be a cloud of concentrated darkness, colored in black and purple, swaying in mid-air like a living entity. It was positioned in the center of the room, which resembled an altar. Murals covered the walls and stained-glass windows, traveling all the way up to the high ceiling. A stairway on the right side led up to the floor above, and an organ was placed in the very back.

_"What **is** that?" _Rinoa whispered over Squall's shoulder, frowning at the sight of the murky cloud as well.

_"See!" _Selphie hissed behind them _"I **told** you I knew what I saw!"_

_"I'm not going anywhere near that thing." _Rinoa stated firmly.

_"We have to, if we want to move further within the castle…" _Irvine said, shrugging _"Four more guardians to go and we haven't found them yet… There **has** to be at least one further inside…"_

_"If we haven't already found it…" _Selphie added with a slight shudder.

_"They're right." _Squall addressed Rinoa _"We have to move ahead."_

Even his own voice bore a hint of apprehension, and he stepped forward cautiously.

He took in a sharp breath, as he stretched one arm out hesitantly, the tips of his gloved fingers inching closer to the shadow.

_"Squall… I wouldn't do that if I were you…" _Rinoa warned, biting her fingernails _"Could be **very** dangerous…"_

_"What we've set out to do is already **very** dangerous." _Squall said, his eyes set to the dark cloud before him _"Might as well take a few chances while we're at it…"_

The rest held their breaths in, watching in anxiety as his palm steadily moved closer.

Squall felt a chill run down his spine and a bead of sweat forming on his brow right before he made contact, his teeth clenched. His fingers touched the shadow and bravely plunged deeper within…

And nothing happened.

He arched both eyebrows in surprise. He had expected **something** to happen, half-dreaded about what might occur the moment he'd touched it. Hell, he at least expected to **feel** something when he plunged his palm inside the cloud… Feeling a whole lot braver, he swung his arm and moved his fingers about, as if trying to grasp something.

Still nothing.

_"Nothing…" _he voiced his inner thoughts _"It's like touching plain air…"_ he said, shrugging.

_"Nothing?" _Irvine said, cocking an eyebrow _"That's odd…"_

_"Well… I for __one am__ relieved…" _Rinoa said, letting go of the breath she'd been holding in _"Odd or not, bottom line is that nothing dreadful happened."_

_"It doesn't make sense though, does it?" _Selphie said _"Why… 'leave' it there if it does nothing?"_

_"I suppose it could be some malfunction of sorts." _Squall said _"Maybe a place where time got already compressed."_

_"Maybe it's an indication we should hurry…" _Irvine suggested.

Squall turned and faced him, nodding. He was about to pull his hand out, when an alarming thought suddenly crossed his mind. What if he **couldn't** draw his hand out? What if this had been the trap all along and he'd fallen for it?

He remained still for a fair few seconds, frowning, only faintly aware of the others staring at him expectantly **_'Not much I can do now…' _**he thought **_'Just try to pull it out and if it doesn't work- Fuck, just do it…'_** He bit into his bottom lip as he pulled his arm back and… it flew right through the cloud and back out. Completely unharmed.

_"It must really do nothing, I guess…" _he said, still somewhat puzzled and suspicious though.

_"I don't mean to push our luck," _Rinoa began, her gaze traveling to the back of the room _"But do you think that organ over there has something to do with it?"_

All three pairs of eyes followed her lead, breaking into a frown once again. Yet another complication…

_"Gah… Enough with the puzzles already…" _Selphie said, in a worn out voice _"Why can't that Ultimecia bitch come out and fight us already?"_

But Rinoa was already walking towards the organ, curiosity fueling her every step. It was almost as if she was being drawn to it by an invisible force… Her eyes fell on the long series of keys, all covered by a thick blanket of dust. She made a move to touch them, her fingertips barely brushing over their surface.

_"Don't tell me you know how to play that…?" _Irvine asked in disbelief.

_"It's not that different form playing the piano." _Rinoa said matter-of-factly, her gaze still locked onto the archaic instrument _"The real question is: What do I play?"_

_"Just give it a shot." _Squall said _"Play anything. If nothing happens, then I say we get on with our way. We've wasted enough time here already."_

_"OK." _Rinoa said, nodding.

She tentatively swept the layer of dust away from the tool, a grimace of disgust on her face. She settled down and cracked her knuckles, then interlocked her fingers and started fidgeting, quite at loss with what on earth to play. She eventually decided to get going and try anything that came in mind first. She wasn't really thinking when her fingertips started pressing the keys to a tune she had never heard before in her life. It was as if she just **knew** that this was the song that had to be played.

The organ had obviously not been used in many, many years, but it was still functioning quite well. With every stroke of Rinoa's fingers, the keys generated an overpowering note, suitable to the instrument's nature. Before she knew it, she was drawn into her performance bit by bit, the tune filling her to the core, inducing a feeling that strangely –but also frighteningly- enough appeared to consume her. The usual subtle breeze that crept its way through the cracks on the stone walls suddenly became somewhat fiercer, just as Rinoa's breathing became faster and harder.

_"Rinoa…"_

She wasn't aware of her peers approaching her, speaking to her, trying to gain her attention.

The ancient tongue… The 'voice' was reaching to her again…

_Pain fuels my moves tonight…_

_As the empty halls close upon me, suffocating me…_

_And I remember you._

_"Rinoa… What-?"_

_You were my Alpha…_

But all that mattered right now, was that she continued to play. Because if she didn't, terrible things would happen…

_And my Omega…_

_"Rinoa, can you hear us?"_

She couldn't stop now; if she did, she wouldn't be able to breathe or think anymore, it seemed.

_My Omega…_

The howling of the wind mingled with the bizarre cries emanating from the floor above. Strange… They sounded like a person crying, with a hollow sort of pain. As if that person's grief was well beyond tears by now… As if all their tears had been drained and all that was left was a burning ache within their heart…

_The culmination of my sorrow…_

_"Rinoa, stop it."_

Warmth spread on her cheeks, as the person's tears became her own. The dull ache became soaked in from the tears, sponged dry by her cells. And it drove her fingers faster, harder on the organ's keys, as if punishing **them** for her own feelings, taking it out on them.

_And this song is for you…_

_"RINOA!"_

Rinoa's fingers banged on many keys together, abruptly ending the song, as Squall's palms clenched tight onto her shoulders. All of a sudden, she felt as if the organ keys were venomous and stung her fingertips. His voice brought her out of her reverie, her eyes wide as the last few tears trickled from the edges. Trembling, she got up on her feet and took a step back from the stool and the organ, the eerie sound of the 'voice' still resonating in the walls of her head.

_"Don't let me near that thing again." _she whispered in a shaky voice.

Squall's grip on her loosened, but his hands rubbed on her skin comfortingly.

_"What happened?" _he asked softly.

_"I don't know…" _Rinoa said, shaking her head, eyes always round and never leaving the instrument _"I don't **want** to know."_

_"Why don't we just move on?" _Selphie offered, her voice carrying a slight hesitant edge.

_"Yeah…" _Rinoa said, her eyes still not moving from the organ _"Let's go… Please." _she finished, only now tearing her gaze away from their former place.

* * *

Zell's brooding took a long time to subsidize. Even when they'd reached the crossing that led to the long pathway above and over to the elevator room or down below, he was still moody. 

This time, the now smaller team, took the alternate route and pushed the double door leading one level below open. Brushing a spider-web aside, Seifer walked down the steps first. As expected, there was still very little light inside the room they'd entered, but its small space made it rather easier to get a clear view of its entirety. There was something distinctively different about it, though, and Seifer realized what that 'something' was the moment he took the first step inside.

_"Eurghhhh!" _Seifer exclaimed in disgust, covering his nose and mouth with his gloved palm _"It smells like ass in here!"_

_"**You** would know…"_ came Zell's muffled voice, right underneath the shirt he'd covered his nose with.

Seifer shot Zell a deadly glare and was about to retort, when Quistis –once again taking up her wearisome role of the group's 'mother hen'- grabbed Seifer from the arm and yanked him ahead, all the same covering her nose as well.

The room consisted of two doors, probably leading to different routes each. One of them was situated on their left, once entering, while the second was separated from the other one by a sealed narrow pathway with a lever and a barred hole. Two trails built in a bit deeper than the room's floor level crossed the surface, filled with water. One of them joined the built in pathway and lined all the way to the top left corner of the room. The other one originated from the barred hole and reached down to the lower right corner. Two small bridges were built to allow one to pass over the trails and into the two doors. The structure of the room left no doubts about where they'd ended up; Ultimecia's Dungeons. As to what they were used for… neither of the three really wanted to know.

_"What the heck is this smell!" _Zell wondered out loud, coughing.

_"Decaying matter,"_ Quistis began speculating _"Or even flesh,"_ At this, Zell gave an audible shudder _"And… stagnant water." _she said, pointing at one of the trails, where the dirty, prehistoric-looking water lay.

_"Let's make this a short visit then, shall we?" _Seifer said, scanning the room _"This smell won't get any fresher…"_

* * *

Selphie wrapped Irvine's long coat around her tighter, as she felt the wind blow strong on her face. 

The wolf-like howling of the breeze as it whipped against the stone walls, along with the fog hindering their sight, intensified the eeriness of the castle and it made crossing the wobbly, wooden bridge even more dreadful. They had come across the slight obstacle the moment they had ascended the stairway inside the organ room and it seemed like they had no choice but to cross it.

_"Well…"_ Selphie mumbled _"Come on; let's cross it."_

_"Be my guest." _Rinoa said, shivering the slightest bit.

_"I'll take the lead." _Squall said with a sigh, stepping up.

Carefully, he took the first step onto the bridge. Trying to bring one foot after the other in front and remain steady, he slowly but gradually began to make his way across.

_"It's not that hard." _he called out to the others _"Just try to match my footing so that it won't tremble around too much."_

Nodding, Irvine offered his hand to Rinoa first, helping her take the initial steps. Selphie followed suit, with him leading the tail in the end.

_"Careful now…" _Squall muttered, arms extended and eyes set to the barely visible side across.

Rinoa shifted her gaze from Squall's feet to the dimness across, biting her lips in slight anxiety. Just like everyone, she kept her arms extended on her sides to keep her balance. All of a sudden, she felt a slight tingling on the tip of her nose **_'Oh no…' _**she thought, a terrible sense of foreboding taking over her.

_"Erm… Guys?" _she mumbled, taking another step forward.

_"What?" _Selphie asked, her tongue sticking out as she moved along perfectly balanced.

_"I uhh…" _Rinoa sniffed _"I think I-I-I gotta," _She sniffed again _"Sneeze."_

_"What!" _came from all three mouths in unison.

_"I can't help it!" _she whined, biting her bottom lip, the tingling on her nose getting fiercer.

_"Well, hold it in!" _Irvine called from the back.

_"Try wiggling your nose around!" _Selphie offered _"It helps!"_

Sighing, Rinoa followed Selphie's advice. It took a while, and it slowed her attempts to step ahead down, but it actually worked.

_"Hey…" _Rinoa said, delighted _"It **does** help! Thanks, Selphie!"_

_"Don't mention it!" _the brunette replied, grinning.

_"Oh thank Hyne…" _Irvine said, letting out a sigh of relief.

Rinoa kept on moving forward, following Squall's lead. Within seconds, she felt the familiar tingling on her nose once again **_'Oh Hyne, not ag-'_**

_"**ACHOO**!"_

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Rinoa stood on the spot, frozen still, her palms around her nose, her eyes wide and slightly watery, her knees bent. She hesitantly moved her gaze around; Squall was standing up stiff, his shoulders heaving up and down as he took in deep breaths, while Selphie had fallen back and was being held by Irvine, both of them looking incredibly pale.

_"Sorry…" _Rinoa muttered, her voice barely audible.

_CLANK_

Relaxing the slightest bit, Squall shifted his head and looked down into the fog below, where the sound had just come from.

_"What was that?" _Irvine asked, frowning.

_"Something fell down." _Selphie said, getting back up on her feet.

_"From where?" _Squall asked, looking up and around.

_"I…" _Rinoa began meekly _"I think it fell from up here; from the bridge…"_

_"What was it?" _Squall asked, turning around to face her.

_"No idea." _she replied, shrugging _"This is my fault… Sorry."_

_"Don't be silly." _Selphie said _"We'll just have to get back down and look for whatever that thing was."_

_"Why don't we cross the bridge and check things out across first?" _Irvine suggested.

_"I agree." _Squall said _"While we're all the way here, let's just do it and check that out later."_

_"OK, let's d-d-d-d-" _Rinoa started to say, taking in short breaths and holding a finger under her nose.

Squall looked back and forth quickly. They were closer to the side they'd started from. Turning around on the spot, he walked right over to Rinoa and nudged her ahead.

_"On second thought…" _he said, just as they all hurried back to the stairway.

* * *

Selphie sprinted out of the room containing the organ, looking around her carefully. She looked up once and spotted through the dim fog the bridge above. Whatever had fallen down from up there should certainly be around that area. Soon followed by the rest of her peers, they all spread out and began looking for the fallen object thoroughly. 

_"We should follow the bridge's trail." _Selphie said, pointing up _"If it fell from up there then it should be somewhere along the length of the bridge."_

Following her own advice, the girl walked along the path right below the bridge. She found her steps leading her right underneath the gazebo leading into the dead-end they had come across before. Frowning, she thought her initial theory was most likely wrong, until she noticed a slight gleam coming right from the barred hole. Getting down to her knees, she tried to look through. The object didn't seem to be too far away, but her arm was a bit too short to reach it.

_"Found something?" _Squall asked from above her.

_"Yup." _Selphie said, stretching her arm _"But I can't quite," _She groaned _"Reach it."_

_"Let me try." _Squall offered.

_"Nah." _Selphie said, pulling her arm out _"Your arms are longer but they won't fit through the bars." _she added, pulling her nunchakus out.

She plunged the weapon through the bars and tried to reach the gleaming object, whatever it was. For a second, she thought she had made it; the tip touched the metallic item, but she accidentally pushed it further inside. It immediately disappeared from sight and another clank was heard, followed by a splash.

Squall let out a huge sigh and his shoulders drooped down.

_"Oh Hyne…" _he mumbled.

_"It's gone?" _Rinoa asked.

_"I don't think so." _Selphie said _"It just fell further below."_

* * *

- _"Let's make this a short visit then, shall we?" _Seifer said, scanning the room _"This smell won't get any fresher…"_

_PLOP_

All three heads turned towards the slight splashing sound that was heard. It originated from one of the water trails crossing the room's midst. Pulled forward by curiosity, Seifer arched an eyebrow and walked towards source of the sound. He crossed the small bridge, kneeling in front of the water trail. He looked up at Quistis who was standing right beside him, looking at him expectantly.

_"I'm not putting my hands in there." _Seifer said resolutely.

_"You're the one wearing gloves." _Quistis retorted.

_"The Wuss is wearing gloves, too!" _Seifer protested, pointing at Zell.

_"Fingertips free." _Zell said, wiggling his bare fingers around, grinning smugly.

_"And wait a sec," _Seifer addressed Quistis again _"**You** are wearing gloves as well!"_

_"Come on Seifer, just do it…"_ Quistis urged him.

The young Commander gave a round of venomous glares around, before sighing and accepting defeat. Turning his head away in disgust, he plunged his palm into the dirty water puddle and pulled the shiny object out.

_"Good Hyne, not **another** one…" _Zell mumbled at the sight of yet another key.

_"Great." _Seifer said, shaking his head in disbelief _"I get to carry around another useless key. A **dirty** one, to add disgust to insult…"_

_"Well, at least we found it." _Quistis said, shrugging _"Let me have a look at it."_

The blonde Instructor took the slightly cleansed key in her palms, examining it. It was rather heavy and somewhat rusty, the silver material stained with brown marks along its span. It brandished a shape which resembled that of a spinal cord, with thin metal limbs branching away from the cylindrical part. An axe was embellished on the head of the key.

_"This is very peculiar…" _Quistis said, squinting _"I've never seen a key like this one before…"_

_"Where did it fall from?"_ Zell wondered out loud, glancing at the ceiling above.

_"Hmmm…" _Seifer hummed, checking the roof as well _"The only opening is that hole up there." _he said, pointing at the spot his gaze was set upon.

The ceiling was completely sealed and there were no windows on the walls, save from a hole positioned on the top left corner, obviously connecting with the rest of the castle from the floor above. It was the only opening the key could have possibly fallen from.

_"From all the way up there?" _Zell said, frowning _"And what the heck was it doing up there anyway?"_

_"No idea…" _said Seifer, shrugging _"But I guess we should keep it."_

And with those words, he glanced around the chamber and moved towards the rightmost door, taking out his Hyperion. He gave the door a push, but saw that it refused to slide open.

_"Locked." _he said, digging a hand into his pocket _"Very long shot," _he said, frowning at the key they'd just found _"But…"_

He slid it through the keyhole onto the lock and saw to his immense surprise that it fit perfectly. As he twisted it around, he heard the sound of many consecutive clicks and the door gave a gentle creak. Seifer arched a pair of blond eyebrows.

_"I can't believe it… It was the right one…" _he muttered.

_"Slightly convenient, don't you think?"_ Zell asked, rubbing the back of his head.

_"**Very **convenient…" _Quistis agreed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

_"Nevertheless…" _Seifer said, placing both palms on the door _"It unlocked. So let's go." _he added with a grunt, pushing the heavy door open.

With a shrill howling sound, the wooden barricade fell back and granted them entrance.

The crackling sound of fire filled Quistis's ears the moment she entered and she realized that this room was lit by four grand torches located on every corner. Tall, solid armors stood on either side of the chamber. They somehow reminded Quistis of giant chess pawns, expectantly standing in line for the next move. The stone floor stopped before her feet and large, wooden slabs spread in between the armors. They ended at the exact same spot the armors did, while a pair of stone steps led up to a small stone platform.

Quistis took the first steps ahead, the sound of her boots against the floor changing as it shifted from stone to wood and to stone back again. She went up the few steps and approached the wall. A silvery-blue wall-carpet cascaded down from the ceiling. It appeared to be made of very fine material, save from the moth holes tainting the edges, leaving it tattered and worthless-looking. The carpet was positioned right in the middle of the wall, among spears and tall, deadly-looking axes, the image of a peculiar monster carefully sewn upon it.

But it wasn't the picture of the beast that had triggered Quistis's curiosity.

It was the sword that was plunged through the carpet and into the stone wall, piercing the thin fabric right onto what appeared to be the monster's throat. But it was also the pool of green, liquid material that was now concentrated right under her feet, dripping onto the side of the steps, originating from the crack on the wall, where the sword was plunged. Quistis could have sworn the smell was identical to that of blood; she had become familiar with the scent of it ages ago. But blood couldn't possibly be green **_'Not _human_ blood'_** she reminded herself.

However, the thing that puzzled her the most, was the fact that the puddle appeared to be consisted of **very** fresh liquid. Just as if it had only now been shed. Could the others have already been there and have beaten a Guardian? But they had made it clear that each group would immediately notify the other. The sudden thought that something terrible had happened crossed her mind fleetingly, but –she swallowed- there were no bodies around.

_"This is very bizarre…" _Quistis said, frowning.

_"What is?" _asked Zell, studying on of the armors carrying a very sharp-looking spear.

_"This… Liquid substance." _she replied, carefully touching some of the trickling material from the wall. It definitely didn't sting. She rubbed her index finger and thumb together. Definitely 100 liquid. She sniffed it. And it smelled like blood, yes _"It appears to have a consistency very similar to that of blood. And they smell very much alike. But it's green. That doesn't puzzle me the most though. It's the fact that it is inexplicably… fresh."_

_"Fresh?" _Seifer inquired, eyebrow arched, and he approached her.

_"Yes, fresh. As in… freshly shed." _Quistis clarified.

_"Ah. So we've established it's blood?" _he asked, squinting at the carpet on the wall.

_"Blood?" _Zell snapped, his head perking up.

_"It's positively green," _Quistis said, making a face _"But I'm almost certain it's blood. Just not human."_

_"What kind of a monster has **green** blood?" _Seifer said, somewhat in disbelief.

_"Most lizard-like monsters do." _Zell piped in, just as Quistis opened her mouth to answer _"Like Geezards, Grendels… That also includes certain types of dragons. Such as Blue Dragons and Ruby. But **not** Hexadragons. They shed normal red blood." _Zell added matter-of-factly, receiving a beaming smile from Quistis and a disdainful glare from Seifer _"And there are also said to be some undead monsters that are the exception to the rule which states that no undead beast bleeds. But I've only come across one of them so far. The Gerogero." _Zell finished.

Quistis's smile had now turned from plain beaming to admiring, while Seifer's expression was now an unmistakable glare.

_"Well now," _Quistis began _"That would have most definitely been an A+ answer in a SeeD-level exam question." _she said to a glowing Zell. She then turned to Seifer _"Seems to me like our Commander has some serious revising to do if he wants to be taken seriously…"_

She returned to examining the green blood-like substance, while Seifer glared at her and back at Zell again, the latter by now grinning at Seifer in a mocking manner.

_"I think you'll find that Cid had his reasons for choosing **me** over the wuss for the Commander position." _he said to Quistis, his gaze still locked upon Zell _"Obviously, one must posses certain traits and being a Hynedamned smart-ass definitely isn't one of them…"_

Zell reciprocated with a rather rude gesture and continued to scrutinize the various armors. He tapped upon one of the chest pieces with his knuckle. By the hollow sound it made, he realized they were completely empty.

Meanwhile, Seifer inspected the fine blue carpet on the wall, shifting his gaze up and down vertically. His eyes came to a halt right onto the bottom right corner. A single word of writing belonging to a language unknown to him, but somehow familiar, was stitched in black thread.

_"Hey," _he said to Quistis, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her head down to the corner he had spotted _"Look at that. More Centranean?" _

_"Hmm? Where?" _Quistis asked, suddenly much more interested in the rug than before.

_"Right down there." _Seifer said, pointing at the spot _"Ga… Gar… Ah, hell. You're the expert. You read it."_

Quistis fell down to her knees and squinted, her face so close to the carpet that her nose was almost touching it. It was indeed Centranean, but the writing was flowing and calligraphic, giving her some difficulty to make it out.

_"Gargantua." _she said eventually.

The moment the words slipped out of her mouth, she felt as if everything inside the room was being rendered in rewind mode.

The double doors swung closed, and with a slithering sound, the green liquid began to shift and trickled towards the wall, then up against it, as if drawn back into the hole by an invisible force. The last drop of the substance seeped back inside the crack, somehow causing the sword to fall down to the floor with a clatter, right in front of Seifer and Quistis's bewildered eyes. Zell soon joined them, stepping up right behind them, he too utterly confused at what exactly was going on.

It was only then, that Quistis realized that what had appeared to be stone on the walls, was in fact something completely different. As the green liquid concentrated back into the crack, a huge bulge began to form behind the carpet, the material on the wall stretching like…

_"Skin…" _Quistis breathed out faintly.

Right on cue, the bulge began to lessen in magnitude and thin, vein-like threads branched away from it and through the walls. All three blondes watched in horrified fascination as the liquid trickled right under the walls and made its way over to the ceiling, still moving in the same serpentine manner.

_"The entire fucking room is alive…" _Seifer whispered, pulling Quistis backwards as he took many steps away from the wall and onto the wooden floor. Zell followed as well.

All three pairs of eyes still locked onto the ceiling, they stood with their backs against one another. The thin, vein-like trickles came to a halt on four spots upon the ceiling. A single drop of green liquid fell from the roof and back inside the room, hitting the exact center of one armor's helmet each.

The substance appeared to seep right into the metal, rather than slide away. The room was rendered in heated silence for a fair few seconds, right before the visors of the four helmets flew open. Slender, bright green slits shone in the place where eyes should have been. The four hollow armors moved together with mathematical precision, raising their tall, heavy double axes and dropping them forward in a thunder of loud thuds, creating a barricaded arena.

On the ceiling above the thin threads slithered towards the center, where they once again formed three separate bulges. One greater than the other two and two identical ones. Green liquid oozed through thin cracks and fell to the floor this time. The wood sponged the substance dry within seconds. The floor began to vibrate greatly, while small cracks began to appear on its span. The cracks grew deeper with each passing second, until the wood boards gave in and smashed.

A pair of what were unmistakably hands now protruded from the floor, long, gigantic fingers swaying about. Thick threads of gauzes were dangling from certain fingers, torn, dirty and tattered. They were only too soon followed by a third crack, and the top of a bald, equally sized, mummified head with empty sockets for eyes made its appearance.

**_I am Gargantua…_**

**_Face my wrath for seeking thy sealed power…_**

Zell took a step back, preparing to assume a battle stance. The moment his foot hit the wooden floor, however, the pair of armors standing on the very edge raised their double axes and prepared to take a swipe at him. Luckily, he was able to notice it soon enough to dive forward and avoid the blow.

_"What the **hell**!" _he hissed.

_"They're blocking our way…" _Quistis said, tightening Save the Queen in her hands _"Making sure there's no escape…"_

_"No choice but to kick some undead ass, then." _Seifer added, looking determined _"It **is** undead, right?"_

_"Only one way to find out…" _Zell said, the bright glow of a spell beginning to spread in his palm.

With narrowed eyes, he stepped forward and extended his arm.

_"Holy!"_

The dazzling golden spell quickly enveloped the head of the monster, its silk-like threads delving into the gauzed scalp. The monstrous scream that escaped the creature's hollow orifice of a mouth was so shrill, that it made the flexible walls vibrate in wave-like manner.

_"OK, so we know it's undead… It obviously didn't like that…" _Seifer yelled, grimacing, in order to be heard above the noise and the blocked ears of his two peers.

Immediately, the left hand of Gargantua stretched and sped away towards Zell, who had dealt the first -and obviously painful- blow. Zell was already prepared to attempt to block it, but Quistis, knowing that the spell had left him temporarily vulnerable, made her move. Her whip gave a crack above her head and swung forward to coil around the left hand's wrist. Mustering all the force she could, she pulled it back with both her hands and managed to render it somewhat motionless with great difficulty.

Seifer took this as his cue to move next. Dashing forward, he performed one of his most rare moves; he grabbed Hyperion with both palms and brought it down on the hand forcefully. Somehow, it didn't surprise him that the blow didn't feel powerful enough; they were up against a seemingly tough foe and he knew that he only took advantage of his power's full potential when performing a Limit Break. However, Ultimecia's seals prevented that option for the time being.

The left hand pulled back and a grimace of pain appeared on the head's face **_'They're connected…' _**Quistis thought, pulling her weapon back **_'It's not just a severed head and limbs, there's a full grown monster beneath the floor!'_**

_"Hurt one part and you hurt all of them!" _she yelled to the other two _"They're connected."_

No sooner had she finished her sentence, than the right hand flew towards Seifer this time. With a flick of Quistis's wrist, the barbed tip of Save the Queen punctured the hand, forcing it to halt in mid-movement **_'Now!' _**Zell thought, his eyes widening.

_"Firaga!" _he shouted, and the advanced Fire spell slithered its way through the air and right onto the right hand.

The gauzes covering the mummified limb helped set the hand ablaze and another shriek escaped the head's mouth. By the time the limb had managed to extinguish the fire, the majority of the gauzes had smoldered away, leaving a trail of long burn marks upon the rotten, green-gray skin below. It gave Zell the impression of a being that had spent its days buried under the stagnant water of a swamp, its skin now covered in slime that provided a faster decay.

The monster set its vacant eyes onto Zell and the blond was certain that now things were going to get serious. And rather ugly.

He was right.

The hollowness of the Gargantua's sockets was all of a sudden illuminated by a sizzling stream of bright green light that grew thicker and more ominous within the matter of a second. The eyes narrowed for a split moment, peering right through Zell's own. An abrupt pounding in his head, and it was all over.

_"Zell?"_

Zell blinked once, and the second he re-opened his eyes, he felt an inexplicable surge of vertigo overtake him, his vision hazy.

_"Zell!"_

Staggering backwards, he held his forehead with one palm, blinking furiously. Tears were now streaming down from his eyes.

_"Zell, what's wrong!"_

_"I… I can't see!" _he spoke up, in reply to Quistis's persistent voice _"Everything's blurry!"_

_"Hold on." _Quistis said calmly, digging a hand into her pocket.

She took out a vial of Eye Drops, hastily uncorking it with her teeth. However, the beast was faster than her. She barely managed to see the left hand extending forward.

_"Quistis!" _Seifer yelled, making a run for her.

The hand came to an abrupt halt, but a long strand of gauze spiraled away and wrapped itself tightly around Quistis's angle. Seifer's palm had just barely closed around hers and he was about to pull her out of harm's way, but her fingers slipped from his grasp as the left hand gave a hard pull and brought the girl down on the floor, dragging her away. The vial fell from her hands and smashed along with her entire stack of medicine provisions. The shards of glass dug into her hip as she got yanked towards the head, digging deeper under her skin and towards the bone. It was only too late that she realized Potions and medicine would have proved useless anyway, since they were unable to use any items yet. She inwardly cursed at herself for her lack of judgment, which had now led to her injury.

Seifer swore and made a dive to the floor, grabbing her wrist on the last second. He held back as best as he could, feeling the burning sensation of his exposed skin rubbing against the wooden floor as well, and raised his armed hand. He shot the creature's limb once, forcing it to release Quistis and pull back. The tall blond quickly got back onto his feet, pulling Quistis up as well. She made an effort to stand up straight, but let out a hiss and clutched her injured hip.

_"What's wrong?" _Seifer said worriedly, keeping one eye onto the swiftly recovering Gargantua.

_"My hip…" _Quistis replied with a wince _"The vials broke and the glass dug into the muscle…"_

She didn't have time to utter another word, as the left hand retaliated and stretched forward, fingers clenching into a fist. Seifer wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leapt backwards, just as the gigantic fist struck the floor, creating a notable crack where the two blondes had been standing only a second before. Once standing a safe distance behind, Seifer released Quistis, but he had made his mistake from the moment he concentrated his eyes onto the left hand and forgot all about the right one.

In whip-like movement, one half-burnt gauze from the still operational right hand shot ahead and got a hold of Seifer's leg. The blond immediately lost his footing and fell down to the floor with a thud, stomach-first. Quickly, he rolled around and onto his back, bringing Hyperion up and aiming. Clenching his teeth, he fired the remaining five bullets of the gun onto the Gargantua's head. But the gauze never uncoiled and kept dragging him closer and closer, until he was less than ten feet away.

Seeing a mass of blonde hair below him, Zell deduced Quistis was close, although incapable of much movement. But Seifer's yell gave him a good idea that the latter was in deep trouble. With tears still trickling from his eyes and impaired vision, Zell squinted, trying to make out the outline of the Gargantua. He decided to risk it and raised his hand.

_"Thundaga!"_

The silvery-blue spell flew right from his palm, but missed its main target for a good few feet. This streams of energy ricocheted on the walls behind the monsters, only a few of them finding their way onto Gargantua. Still, they were enough for even a minor shock. What Zell had not however calculated, was Seifer's body, still connected to the monster.

The tall blond gave a scream, his head falling back from the intensity. He only barely felt the gauze releasing his leg and retreating back to the right hand. Seifer unconsciously allowed his body to lay spread-eagled onto the wooden floor, his eyes only half-open, watching the Gargantua before him try to recuperate **_'Get up…' _**Seifer tried to urge himself. Their enemy didn't take long before regaining focus of its targets and realized that one of them was standing right before it, completely helpless **_'Get up…' _**It seemed to leer upon him like an insect. An insect it intended to crush into a pulp right then and there, while it was still vulnerable **_'Get up.' _**Out of the corner of his eyes, Seifer saw the left hand clench into a tight fist, vibrating with the energy of a spell **_'Get up!' _**

It all appeared before his eyes in slow-motion.

The hand rose up **_'Get the _fuck _up!' _**Seifer's right hand fingers began to twitch slightly **_'Get UP!' _**The monster's fist began to hurtle down, the palm now spreading, waiting to release the spell. Seifer parted his lips open **_'Getupgetupgetupgetup!' _**The widespread palm inched closer to him. He touched his bottom lip with his teeth **_'GET. UP! NOW!' _**He bit into his skin as hard as he could, until her felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. The sting of pain seemed to awaken his numb body and he rolled out of the way at once.

The fist hit the floor, sending a frenzy of broken wood and splinters on its wake. Seifer covered his eyes and face and made a backwards roll, getting onto his knees. He began to leap backwards before the monster could recover, quickly reloading Hyperion; this was not a battle they could win from close combat tactics.

Quistis slapped one palm onto the floor and aided herself up to her knees, her other hand still clutching her aching hip. Once her other was free again, she raised it up and yelled.

_"Holy!"_

The spell found the beast just as Seifer began backtracking, offering him some cover and a bit of time to regroup before the Gargantua attacked again. He soon rejoined Quistis and Zell, looking positively determined.

_"This damned thing is starting to piss me off." _he growled, pushing the ammo clip into Hyperion and swinging it in one arm.

_"Time to get serious." _Zell agreed, wiping his furiously blinking eyes _"Esuna." _he mumbled, and the green aura of the curative spell engulfed him.

Quistis nodded, getting up onto her feet, supporting her weight onto her still good leg. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms together.

_"Triple!" _she yelled and extended her arms towards Seifer and Zell _"Haste!"_

_"Game on." _Seifer said, and darted forward.

Quistis knew that Haste had a tremendous effect on a soldier's speed, but what she was witnessing before her very eyes right now was out of this world. Seifer seemed to move like a blur of grey and black. It was right then, witnessing him in **real** battle that she truly realized why he had been made a Commander.

A flash of steel shone as Seifer pulled Hyperion up to a great arc, and the creature only realized he had moved when it felt a sharp pain right across its throat. Within its panic, the Gargantua made a grab for him blindly, only to catch nothing but air. The blonde followed the movement of his sword and whirled like a feline in mid-air, sending a kick straight onto the Gargantua's head. He landed onto one knee and shot twice, aiming right for the center of the beast's scalp. Taking advantage of his momentarily motionless stance, the monster brought its limbs together closing them around Seifer's waist and raised him up as if he were weightless. A smirk crossed the blond's lips and before the Gargantua had even time to draw breath, an 'X' shaped cut was crossing its forehead by the double slash of Hyperion. Its head fell back just as Seifer was coming up from the second swipe. He twisted the heavy weapon in one arm with ease and grabbed it with both hands, plunging it deep into one of the beast's hollow sockets of eyes.

A spurt of green, thick liquid, identical to the one dripping from the hole in the wall behind, sprayed onto his face and he clenched his teeth as a drum-breaking shriek escaped the monster's mouth. But before he had time to react, Gargantua released one hand, tightened its grip on him with its left one and threw him into the air with tremendous force.

Quistis and Zell watched horrified as Seifer flew backwards, heading straight for the back of the room. However, his trajectory came to an abrupt halt the moment the same pair of armor suits that had tried to behead Zell raised their axes. Seifer hit the rigid steel back first with a loud thud and fell onto the floor on all fours. Wheezing, he let out a cough of mixed air and blood.

_"SEIFER!" _Quistis shrieked, making a move to run towards him.

_"I'M **FINE**!" _he roared and glared at her a bit more harshly than he had intended _"Don't turn your eyes away from our target!"_

Nodding half-heartedly, Quistis turned back around.

_"Zell, cast Holy with me on the count of three. Aim for the center of the head." _she said to him _"One," _she began counting, preparing the spell quickly as Zell complied _"Two… Three!"_

_"HOLY!"_

The two jets of golden light hurtled forward, uniting into one greater streak of energy and found their target on the monster's forehead. The intensity of the combined spell threw the undead scalp backwards, obviously dealing a great amount of damage. However, the Gargantua was very quick to retaliate. All of a sudden, the room appeared to grow colder, while a strong breeze of wind began to blow their hair away, getting fiercer and fiercer.

**_'Tornado…' _**Seifer thought, recognizing it immediately from their previous fight with the Trauma. Diving forward, he fell onto Zell and Quistis and forced them down to the ground, yelling.

_"It's a Tornado spell! Take cover!"_

He buried his head under the cleft of his right arm, as every object not nailed to the floor began hurtling towards them, crashing against the walls or scraping their backs. The moment he sensed the wind calming down, Seifer quickly shot up, spat a mouthful of blood on the floor and fired a spell, aiming for the monster's right hand.

_"Blizzaga!"_

The light blue ray of light hit the stray limb and a thick layer of ice began to form upon it immediately. Wasting no time, Seifer aimed and fired at it, before the ice melted. The bullet hit the frosted hand and it shattered into a myriad of pieces, scattering away on the floor. The Gargantua let out a howl in pain, giving Zell a distraction to make his next move.

_"Quistis, cover me with a Cura!" _he yelled and got up to his feet, dashing towards the beast.

Quistis stood up, aided by Seifer, and did as Zell told her to. With speed matching that of Seifer's just before, Zell chose to do what he did best; fight in hand-to-hand combat. So to speak… In reflex, the Gargantua's only remaining limb made a move to thrust him away. But to both Quistis and Seifer's utter surprise, Zell brought one fist up in defense and halted its movement.

Seifer's eyes widened as he noticed the muscles visible from Zell's short-sleeved shirt tighten; his left arm was shaking by the struggle he was putting up. It was giving Seifer the impression that his muscles were going to shatter right then and there. And only then did it occur to him that Zell's power and skill in martial arts was indeed one of the best –if not **the** best- globally.

Zell had to grin at the obvious surprise that had painted itself even upon the monster's almost expressionless face. He threw his body into a backward flip, bringing one leg up, hitting the monster square on the jaw. He landed neatly onto his two feet, kneeling down. He grabbed the loose gauze from the left limb and stepped right onto the palm with one foot, while swinging the other leg into a powerful kick. He twisted back in place within a flash and performed a triple punch combo, feeling the flexible skin of the face stretch inwards with every hit.

He withdrew his fists and took a step back. And that was his mistake.

With thunderous speed, the Gargantua raised its now free hand and brought it slamming against Zell's stomach, while a sudden flash of light appeared with the impact.

Quistis stood still and wide-eyed as Zell flew backwards **_'A Flare spell… Oh no… Oh, Hyne no…' _**

Seifer stepped up and caught Zell before he fell out of the arena and into the mercy of the living armor suits. His eyes flew from the **very** nasty burn on his peer's stomach and his smoldering clothes, to the sinking form of Gargantua, which slowly retreated into the floor.

_"ZELL!" _Quistis screamed, and rushed over to his side.

Seifer knelt down, Zell's back resting onto his lap, as the shorter blonde hissed in overwhelming pain. Quistis knelt down next to them, cupping her mouth with her palms at the sight of him. The front part of his garments had burnt away and into a perfect circle, the edge of his clothing still smoldering from the blazing Flare spell. The skin on his now exposed stomach was a furious shade of deep crimson **_'Oh thank Hyne the spell hit him before it could be fully formed… Had it been completely developed, he'd be dead before hitting the floor…' _**Quistis thought as she got a hold of herself and thought quickly of a way to help her friend.

With hands as steady as she could, she grabbed the sides of his shirt and looked up at Seifer.

_"Hold him tight." _she said.

Seifer immediately realized what she was about to do, and wrapped his arms as firmly as he could around Zell's shoulders. Quistis gripped the shirt tightly, biting her bottom lip and yanked it upwards. The fabric had to be pulled away before it permanently stuck on Zell's skin, otherwise it would only be surgically removed. Zell let out a shrill scream at the stinging pain, his head banging against Seifer's chest, his teeth clenched.

_"I'm so sorry, Zell…" _Quistis mumbled _"But I have to do this now."_

Zell closed his eyes, breathing heavily as Quistis's palms pressed lightly onto his stomach.

_"Curaga." _she said quietly.

Knowing that this spell was only meant for emergencies and caused a tremendous rush of blood, she tried to perform as mild a Curaga as possible.

_"I'm no Rinoa when it comes to spells," _she said apologetically _"But I'm doing my best…"_

Seifer felt Zell tense up under his grip dangerously; he began to struggle to get free.

_"Let him go." _Quistis said hastily _"He needs to let out the excess energy."_

Seifer reluctantly complied and let go, allowing Zell to spring up to his knees within a second. He curled down, clutching his stomach and let out a loud growl, turning around swiftly and connecting his fist with… Seifer's cheek.

The taller blond felt his head unscrew itself to the left and fell onto the floor with a thud, hissing. Meanwhile, Zell seemed to calm down a bit, the sound of his heavy breath becoming calmer and calmer. Quistis grinned awkwardly; on one hand, Zell seemed to be OK for now, but she'd bet anything Seifer wasn't very happy right now… Indeed, the young Commander struggled his way back up, with a deadly frown crossing his features.

_"What the FUCK was **that** for!"_ he hissed _"Where you trying to break my fucking JAW!"_

Zell let out a grin that was frighteningly close to one of Seifer's most devious ones.

_"If I were trying, now you wouldn't **have** a jaw… Commander." _he said, chuckling.

_"You FUCKING Chicken-Wuss! You're in for a…"_

Quistis shook her head in amusement, the sound of their bickering ringing in her ears. She sat down on the floor and let out a sigh, only to soon realize something. The next seal. Why hadn't they been asked to release another seal? After each battle was over, Ultimecia's guards were supposed to allow them to release one of their sealed powers. So, either Ultimecia was 'cheating' or…

_"This battle isn't over…" _Quistis breathed out.

_"You **better** fucking run, before I get my hands on you-"_

_"Stop it; the battle isn't over." _Quistis repeated firmly.

_"NO-ONE hits Seifer Almasy and lives to tell the t-"_

_"SEIFER!" _Quistis snapped.

_"What!" _the blond growled, turning around.

_"The battle isn't over." _Quistis repeated for the third time.

_"What are you on about?" _Seifer said incredulously _"Of course it's over. That fucking beas-"_

But he never had time to complete this sentence, as the floor began to vibrate once more. Quistis barely felt Seifer's arms wrap around her and help her up, as her eyes were concentrated on the hole through which Gargantua had disappeared. The rumbling and the vibrations got more violent with every passing second, until the floor gave an almighty crash that brought them all to their knees, trying to take cover from rogue floor particles.

When the dust and debris began to clear out, Seifer opened his eyes slowly, only to find Gargantua in front of them once again, this time in full-bodied form. The monster stood before them ten feet high, looking even more ominous that before. Its eyes still as vacant as always, a torso swelled and powerful and limbs that connected fully with the rest of the body now. Except for the severed right hand.

_"Oh you have **got** to be shitting me…" _Seifer mumbled wearily.

Taking full advantage of the element of surprise, Gargantua threw its body backwards as if taking in a deep breath and sprang back forward, opening its void mouth widely. A green cloud of smoke emitted from the mouth surrounded the trio completely and despite their efforts to prevent from inhaling it, it took effect. Zell felt the insides of his head spin around, his vision once again hazy, and that heated feeling of rush getting swept away from him **_'This attack must have affected our speed status.' _**he thought **_'If we were under Haste before, now we're back to normal…'_**

Seifer staggered his way up to his feet and extended his arm, aiming to stall the beast before they regrouped and came up with a new tactic.

_"Holy!" _he yelled _"Fuck…" _he added to the rest _"We have to think up of a plan… Fast! This thing doesn't seem eager to die any time soon."_

Quistis frowned, her mind racing; Gargantua was already recovering from the initial blow and they were running out of time. They were all exhausted and, at this rate, wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. Besides, they needed to reserve their spell sources for latter fights; they couldn't afford to use them carelessly…

Her eyes traveled around the room in search of a possible solution until they fell onto the wall behind the monster. And then she remembered… That rug on the wall.

The monster on the carpet was the one they were facing right **now**; even its name was sewn upon it. And in the picture, it had been slain by a sword that went through its throat… Suddenly, all the pieces started to fall in place within her mind… The green blood, the sword plunged on the wall, the peculiar walls…

_The entire fucking room is alive…_

And then it all clicked together.

Standing up, she turned to face Seifer and Zell.

_"I have an idea. Cover me; I need to get past the monster." _she said determinedly _"Seifer," _she addressed him _"I know I'm asking for quite a lot, but you **have** to take on Gargantua. Remember the rug on the wall?"_

Seifer screwed his face into a puzzled frown, then parted his lips open and nodded, beginning to follow her train of thought.

_"I got it. Go. And be careful." _he said, and stood up as well _"Zell, you'll need to take care of the 'distraction' part."_

_"Alright…" _Zell said uncertainly _"…Here I go."_

The latter was the last to get back on his feet and did the first thing that came in mind; he dashed right for it, trying to steady his pace as the vertigo began to take him over. Gargantua appeared to be ready for Zell's attack, leveling its gaze with him, scrutinizing him. The moment he got close enough, it raised one gigantic arm and brought it down. Zell barely had time to shield himself and block it and then he did something utterly unexpected; he made a grab for it. Wrapping his arms and legs around it, he tried to keep it as motionless as possible, which proved quite futile, since the monster raised it up with ease and tried to shake Zell off.

_"What the fuck are you **doing**!" _Seifer yelled from behind, flabbergasted.

_"I don't KNOW!" _Zell shouted back, holding onto the arm for dear life.

Quistis shook her head in disbelief; this wasn't exactly what she'd been hoping for, but it had to do. Taking her chance, she hurried forward, running as fast as she could with her injured hip **_'I'm not going fast enough…' _**she realized **_'My leg's hindering me. But I can't risk this. It might be the only shot we get…'_** Closing her eyes, she mumbled a Haste spell under her breath. When she re-opened her eyes, her surroundings seemed to fly past her like nothing, her form slicing the air as it dashed ahead.

By the time Gargantua managed to notice her and forget all about Zell for a split second, she had already darted past it and was heading for the armor suits guarding the wooden arena **_'I need a new distraction…' _**she thought and uncoiled her whip, tossing it into the air ahead of her. The suits immediately raised their axes high, but she was already diving down to the floor. Their axes sped downwards within a split second; however, she had just rolled onto the floor and was now speeding up the stairs.

_"Alright… My turn…" _Seifer mumbled, tightening his grip on Hyperion.

Gargantua finally managed to shake Zell off, sending him hurtling onto the floor and made a move to reach for Quistis. Its left arm elongated, making a grab for her, but it was too late; Seifer had already caught up with it.

Deciding to take a risk, the moment he reached the beast he leapt up and stepped on its back once. It took him less than a second to realize just how slippery the monster's skin was, as his foot flew backwards from the lack of friction. But his aim was already fulfilled; he grabbed Hyperion with both palms and brought it down with as much force as he could muster.

Quistis's head snapped back as she realized that Gargantua was trying to stop her, but to her utmost relief, the outstretched arm came to a halt the moment Seifer plunged Hyperion right through its throat. It appeared to have immobilized the monster, which was now struggling to remove the lodged gunblade, a sound very familiar to gagging coming out of its mouth in strangled gasps. Quistis knelt down and took the fallen sword into her hands **_'Here goes nothing…' _**she thought and pulled it up, thrusting it right through the crack on the wall.

A great spray of green liquid surged out of the crack just then, followed by the shrill scream of Gargantua. Wincing, Quistis realized that the trickle of green blood was beginning to take its original shape into a puddle. Seifer shut his eyes to the piercing sound and rolled back onto the floor to join Zell, as the beast continued to scream and slowly sank into the floor once more.

Seifer buried his head into the cleft of his crossed arms, breathing heavily. When he forced himself to stand back up to his knees and look up again, the last trace of the monster was now visible, disappearing underneath the surface of the floor, while the destructed wooden particles of the board were magically mending themselves back in place. The tip of Gargantua's head vanished below, and all that was left was Hyperion, lying onto the floor, stainless.

**_You have fought well…_**

**_And it is my duty to unseal one of your powers…_**

**_Choose wisely…_**

_"We choose… to unlock… the Defensive Magic… seal." _Seifer said.

**_Very well…_**

_"Don't… tell me…" _Seifer wheezed _"We could've… done this… from the beginning…"_

_"No…" _Quistis said, shaking her head _"We had… to force it… to assume its full form…"_

_"Right…" _Seifer said, nodding.

And with that, Quistis fell to her knees, her hands still clutching the grip of the sword tightly, her breath sallow. The rest seemed to follow her lead, falling unceremoniously onto the floor in exhaustion, sweat trickling from their foreheads in rivulets.

Seifer raked a gloved palm through his damp hair, exhaling audibly.

_"Wuss, you OK?" _he asked Zell, rolling his head to the side to face him.

_"Uh-huh…" _Zell mumbled, apparently too tired to be angered by Seifer's remark.

_"Quis …" _Seifer called out _"Are you hurt?"_

_"Nuh-uh…" _Quistis managed, shaking her head in negation, leaning against the wall behind her.

_"Good." _Seifer said, closing his eyes _"Take five, cast a Cura and we're off."_

Quistis nodded in agreement and looked down at the bloodied patch on the side of her skirt. Wincing, she raised the hem all the way up to her hip. She bit her lip as her fingers closed around one protruding piece of glass, closed her eyes and pulled it out. She let out a hiss and a moan of protest which made Seifer look up, but she reassured him she was alright, despite his persistence. They couldn't afford having her crippled right now; she'd do her damndest to recover as much as possible and be ready for the next fight. She pulled another piece out, a trickle of blood following on its wake. She swallowed with difficulty and kept going, then cast a Cura and allowed herself a few moments of rest.

* * *

- _"I don't think so." _Selphie said _"It just fell further below."_

_"Let's just leave it be, shall we?" _Irvine said wearily _"For all we know, it could be absolutely nothing and we're busting our asses over it for no reason at all."_

_"Oh come on!" _Selphie insisted _"We've come this far! Besides, I think it fell down to the dungeon. I know the way down there. I think…"_

_"You do?" _Squall asked, arching an eyebrow.

_"Right before we found the elevator we came across a stairway that led one level below floor one. Has to be it." _Selphie replied.

The rest shared a weary gaze, sighing.

_"Come ooooon! I'll show you the way."_

* * *

Zell groggily stepped out of the armory chamber. 

The Cura he'd just cast on himself had helped a great deal, but it couldn't possibly work wonders. A great portion of the exhaustion after the battle was still there. He wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep right now, but this was no time to fool around. Besides, this Hynedamned rotting smell was driving him insane and he wanted to leave the Dungeons as soon as possible. There was only one more room to explore. Hopefully, it would be empty…

Seifer stepped forward, his eyes as tired-looking as everyone's. His gaze fell first upon the lever next to the floodgate separating the two doors. He tried to pull it, but realized that there was a lock, keeping it tightly in place. And no key around… With a weary sigh, he decided to forget about it for the moment and placed both palms on the wooden slab in front of them. The heavy wooden door gave out a squeak and slowly creaked open. Dust that had collected upon the top of it fell down into a rain of particles the moment Seifer pushed it aside. Coughing, he cleared it away and entered the new room.

For a change, this room wasn't at all lit by candles. But it was rather luminous, due to a grid on the ceiling that allowed the moonlight to creep in and color everything in bluish-silver shades. On the far side of the room, what at first sight might have appeared to be a cloaked man, turned out to be a rotting corpse. Hands outstretched and rigid, the carcass's stature suggested that it had found its death abruptly and could have been calling out for help. Its brown cloak, matched the color its skin had by now taken, after what was probably months of decay and humidity.

The smell inside that room had just gotten a notch closer to becoming unbearable and Seifer found himself grasping his stomach next.

_"Oh my Hyne…" _Quistis said in weariness and disgust, once she'd gotten a full view of the room.

_"I think I'm gonna be sick…" _Zell muttered, his cheeks suddenly inflated.

_"Can we just get out of here, Seifer…?" _Quistis mumbled, upon giving the room a bit more inspection.

On the right wall next to them, a pair of chains hung from the wall, rusty and heavy-looking, and a rather grotesque bust of a bull-like creature stood right above the threshold. There was a door in the far back of the room, wooden and heavy just like any other one else inside the castle.

_"Just a second…" _Seifer said, narrowing his eyes at an object onto the floor.

He had just caught sight of a tiny gleam of moonlight, as it had gotten reflected upon a marginally shiny surface, right on the dead body. He approached it and kneeled down, examining the dead body's extended hand. Upon its hooked fingers, hung what was unmistakably a key. A rusty, tainted one to be exact. But nonetheless, a key. He unhooked it and lifted it up into the beams of moonlight to examine it a bit better. This one was bronze and bigger than the one they'd found inside the book, and heavier as expected. Seifer had the impression that this could very well be the reason why the corpse had ceased to be a living person.

He lifted his eyes and took a look at the carcass that was now so close to him. The skin that had once upon a time existed onto its face was leathery and wrinkly, hints of bone apparent below its cracks. There was no sign of eyeballs. Seifer turned away and stood up.

_"Hey look…" _he said to Quistis and Zell _"It's another-"_

He stopped in mid-sentence, upon looking at the expression on both faces. It was a mixture of alarm, slight panic and surprise. Knitting his brow, Seifer made a move to turn around again to follow their object of distraction, when-

**_I am Red Giant…_**

**_Face my wrath for seeking thy sealed power…_**

Stiffing in place, Seifer shut his eyes momentarily and swore **_'Not NOW, dammit… It's too fucking soon! I can't fight NOW!'' _**he whined in his head.

And **this** time, things appeared to be a lot worse than before…

What the tall blond was facing right now, was twelve foot high iron giant, **very** muscular, protected by deep burgundy armor with golden details on the shoulder and knees, with tiny, gleaming green eyes and on its right hand… **_'A FUCKING huge-ass sword…'_**

But he really had not time to ponder anymore, as said 'huge-ass' sword came speeding down to them, threatening to cut them in half with a mere swipe. Quistis, who was standing in the middle, dove away immediately, as did the other two. The sword came down tearing the floor apart with a heavy clunk. When the beast withdrew its weapon, the stone floor was marred with a **deep** crack…

_"Holy shit…" _Zell breathed out.

But the Red Giant was nowhere nearly done with them, and once again attempted to smite them with its sword. It was Seifer's turn to roll away while still on the floor, the sword slashing down inches away from him. Before the Red Giant had time to pick it up again, he got up to his feet and yanked Quistis up as well. On their right, Zell rolled backwards on the floor and stood up.

_"OK, this is bad…" _he mumbled.

_"Gee, you **think**!" _Seifer sneered and shoved Quistis away, as another swipe came directed at them.

Seifer ducked, and the sword flew horizontally right over his head. He had the distinct impression that it shaved a few millimeters of hair off… He dared not even consider taking Hyperion out; he took great pride in knowing that his gunblade was crafted by the most potent variety of steel, but against that butcher-knife, he was afraid he'd end up holding the grip of his faithful companion. And only that. He was not willing to risk it.

Quistis made a roll on the floor after Seifer's push and whirled onto one knee, extending one arm forward.

_"Blizzaga!" _she yelled.

Her spell struck the Red Giant right on the chest, but it didn't appear to affect it the slightest bit.

**_This magic is useless!_**

All three pairs of eyes became very round at the sound of that; no Guardian had so far attempted to speak to them, except for the beginning and the end of the battle. And to add insult to injury, the Red Giant's tone was much too mocking. It seemed to affect Seifer most of all, as his eyes flared up in anger and his eyebrows joined into a deep scowl.

_"You're **fucking** dead, you walking can of shit!" _he hissed _"Firaga!"_

If anything, the new spell seemed to add to the Red Giant's amusement. But still no damage inflicted whatsoever.

_"Seifer, **stop** wasting magic," _Quistis shouted at him _"And think of another strategy!"_

She proceeded in letting out a yelp and rolling backwards to avoid another blow of the monster's sword. She felt Zell's hand wrap around her wrist and pull her up, only to shove her down to the floor again, as he dove away from the hurtling weapon as well. Banging her fist against the floor, she yelled.

_"**STOP** picking me up, dammit!" _she roared, cursing for one of the very few times in her life.

Her small outburst seemed to amuse Seifer, which only added to her already growing fury for being treated like a damsel-in-distress. Zell scurried up to his feet **_'We can't just keep fighting in the blind here… We need to find out what this monster's weakness is…'_** he thought, extending one arm forward **_'This might help a bit…'_**

_"Scan!" _he yelled.

Quistis, upon hearing the spell he had cast rose up immediately. He would be able to give them a few bits of information if the spell was cast successfully, but he'd be vulnerable until it was over, since he had to remain still. But the Red Giant seemed to have other plans and began to direct its next hit at him once again. Uncoiling her whip, Quistis swung it once in the air and effectively wrapped the end around the swords grip, pulling the whip with both hands. Her physical power compared to that of the Red Giant seemed puny, to say the least, but it slowed down the sword, even the slightest bit.

While in mid-swipe, the Red Giant apparently had a change of mind, and instead of continuing to aim at Zell, swung the sword around and raised its arm up high, dragging Quistis along the way. The girl let out a shriek as her feet left the floor. With a flick of its wrist, the Red Giant waved the sword once more, forcing Quistis to loop into the air and fly back-first towards the wall. She managed to pull her whip back and free the sword at the last minute, and prepared herself mentally to crash against the wall. To her surprise, she bumped against something much softer, which protested with a groan of pain at the contact and staggered backwards. She looked over her shoulder and saw Seifer smash against the wall, his arms around her shoulders.

_"Ouch…" _he mumbled, sliding down against the wall, dragging her along.

Meanwhile, Zell took a step back, ready to call at the other two, but the Iron Giant had other plans… While still in mid-movement after flinging Quistis away, it brought its massive sword down towards Zell. The latter, with his attention too preoccupied to Seifer and Quistis failed to see this coming. Seifer opened his eyes with some effort, wincing, and only caught sight of the sword less than a second before it threatened to make contact with Zell. His eyes widened immediately and he made a move to yell.

Reading his worried expression, Zell looked the other way for a split second. His breath dies into his throat at once, but he didn't lose his head and ducked at once. The sword whistled right above his head and he stood back up, readying himself for another attack. Visibly frustrated, the Giant swung the sword back towards its target and Zell once again knelt down to avoid it. He was, however, very taken aback to see the grand weapon stop millimeters away from him. He looked up and barely had time to see a flash of grey steel, before the flat surface of the swords collided with his forehead.

And then everything went black.

Seifer swore under his breath and pushed Quistis away, making a dive for the floor. The beast was ready to attack again and this time it showed no signs to be willing to strike with the blunt part of its sword. He grabbed Zell's left arm and rolled onto the stone floor, dragging him along the way, right before the weapon of their enemy left another deep crack on its wake. Seifer rolled onto his back, ready to get back up on his feet, but wasn't fast enough.

The Iron Giant made a move for him next and Seifer, without thinking, did the only think he could by reflex; he drew Hyperion out.

The two weapons crashed onto one another and Seifer bit his lip, cringing. To his utmost surprise, the monster's sword had only managed to produce a small crack on the sharp edge of Hyperion's blade; he had half expected it to snap in two. Still, his relief was soon clouded by a surge of anger… His most faithful companion had just been marred by that **_'Fucking ugly piece of shit!'_** Extending his free arm up, he all but whispered the spell.

_"ULTIMA!"_

The small, greenish bundle of light found the Giant square on the chest. It reminded Seifer of a small nuclear explosion. Slowly but steadily, the small sphere began to build up in size, as if a series of cells exploded with energy within a chain reaction, then eventually burst out, a surge of brilliant white light filling the small room instantly.

The Iron Giant took a step back, obviously hurt by the spell, but not quite as much as everyone had hoped for.

In the meantime, Quistis had stealthily made her way over to the two blondes, muttering a Cura spell under her breath while holding Zell's head in her palms. The faint green glow appeared and spread over his forehead, causing the bruise so far apparent there to get swept away in a mere second. Zell fluttered his eyes open, letting out a small moan, quickly remembering that they had no time to waste; he had to inform them about what he's found out just before.

_"It's not very powerful…" _he croaked _"Much less energy than the one we fought before; less than half… Only magic it's got is Demi."_

Quistis's eye bulged out at the sound of those words **_'Demi! Of COURSE! Why didn't I think of this before!'_** Lunging up to her feet, she aimed her outspread palm at the Red Giant.

_"Demi!"_ she yelled.

And it finally had the effect she had been hoping for. Seifer and Zell got back up to their feet, as the Red Giant staggered backwards, trying to steady itself.

**_P-p-please… N-no more D-Demi…_**

Seifer's smirk couldn't have possibly gone wider.

_"I think we hit the jackpot there…" _he said, getting up _"Demi!"_

The gigantic beast received the second spell on the chest, which caused its shoulder to vibrate in an almost shudder-like manner. In a desperate attempt, it swung its sword towards Quistis. However, the Giant's agility was much more lessened this time, and Quistis skillfully avoided the blow with a backward cartwheel. She immediately raised her head back up and brought her arms forwards, shouting almost in unison along with Zell.

_"DEMI!"_

The two spells hit the Red Giant consecutively, causing it to smash against the wall behind and drop its sword. The three blonds were delighted to see that when making at attempt to pick it up once again, the Giant trembled in a frenzy of clanking metal parts and dropped it once more; it no longer had enough strength to carry it.

Seizing the opportunity of their opponent's momentary vulnerability, Seifer fired another Demi spell, which seemed to bring the Red Giant flat on the floor for good. Their enemy had yet to be beaten, but appeared to be incapable of any movement whatsoever.

Obviously realizing that as well, Zell almost casually raised one arm.

_"Fira." _he said coolly.

A thick trail of flames rose from the ground and found its way over to its target, setting the Giant ablaze and shrieking. When the spell's effect wore off, the Red Giant let out one last breath and let its shoulders slump down, defeated. A small cloud of dust arose when it finally settled down, immobile, soon to be followed by a distinct cracking sound.

The tips of the monster's feet began to turn from burgundy to grayish-brown, slowly spreading to the ankles, the knees and all the way up the legs until its entire body turn into what was obviously stone and promptly dissolved in tiny, sparkly particles and into the air.

**_You have fought well…_**

**_And it is my duty to unseal one of your powers…_**

**_Choose wisely…_**

_"We choose to unlock the Limit Break seal." _Zell said.

**_Very well…_**

_"Well…" _Seifer said, letting out a tired sigh _"That's one more less…"_ he added, leaning against a wall and sinking to the floor to join Zell and Quistis, this time only seconds away from falling asleep right then and there…

The blonde Instructor wiped her sweaty brow and rested her head against the wall, closing her eyes.

_"That wasn't really that damned hard…" _Zell wheezed _"But tryin' to keep away from the friggin' sword's way was one wearisome business, let me tell ya…"_

_"Since when do **you** know what 'wearisome' means?" _Seifer sneered at him, looking at him through the corner of his eye.

_"It just so happens that I have a rich vocabulary, thank you very much!"_ Zell snapped, looking smug at the same time.

_"No, it just so happens that the library girl has suggested you borrowed a dictionary from the library from time to time…" _Seifer replied, chuckling.

Zell refused to reply to this and just crossed his arms, pouting, tearing his haze away from Seifer **_'How did he KNOW!'_**

Meanwhile, Quistis, not in the mood to listen to yet another petty fight, had dug into Seifer's pocket and was already searching for Squall's number on the blond's cell-phone.

_"What are you doing?" _Seifer asked her.

_"Calling Squall and the others to inform them about our progress." _Quistis replied, bringing the phone to her ear _"We forgot to call them earlier before." _

She waited for an answer for a fair few seconds, before she heard a weird tune coming out of the speaker and the call was terminated. Puzzled, she brought the phone back in front of her and looked at the screen.

_"You have no signal." _she said _"Probably because we're underground."_

_"Really?" _Seifer said, arching an eyebrow, taking the cell phone from Quistis's hands _"Hmmm, you're right… It's strange though… This room's open from the ceiling." _he added, pointing at the grid on the top of the room.

_"I'm actually surprised the phones worked here period." _Quistis said matter-of-factly _"I'd half expected them to have gone haywire after Time Compression began."_

_"Perhaps it's cause it's hasn't started yet in this world." _Zell said, shrugging.

_"Which reminds me," _Seifer said, getting up _"That we don't have too much free time to wander around. We gotta get going." _

_"You're right." _Quistis said, taking the hand Seifer offered her to get up.

Zell got up as well and walked towards the other door inside the room, aside from the one they'd used to enter. He pressed both palms against it, but it didn't budge.

_"This one's locked." _Zell said.

_"Here," _Seifer said, tossing him the key they'd found inside _"Try this."_

Zell grabbed the key and slid it into the lock of the door. He tried to twist it around, but it became obvious that this key hadn't been crafted for that door.

_"Nope. No dice." _Zell said, shaking his head in negation.

_"Well I guess we have no other option than the door we came in through." _Quistis said.

Seifer pushed the door with one hand and realized that this one wouldn't move either. Frowning, he used both hands. Still nothing.

_"It's locked." _he said, arching an eyebrow.

_"Maybe that's what this key is for." _Zell said, approaching him.

Seifer leaned against the wall next to the threshold, Quistis next to him, waiting as Zell tried the recently found key on that door. It slid through with ease and with a bit of difficulty –rust had taken its toll on it- Zell twisted it around.

_"Yup," _he declared _"That's the one."_

The door didn't unlock with the first turn, so Zell tried one more.

Crack.

All blondes froze on the spot.

_"Tell me that was the sound of the door unlocking…" _Quistis uttered eagerly.

Wincing, Zell tried to push it open. Nope.

_"Ermmm…" _he stammered _"Errrrr… It… it won't open." _he mumbled.

A muscle twitched on Seifer's jaw.

_"Try turning it once more." _he growled through gritted teeth.

Zell swallowed with difficulty. He twisted the key around once more and strangely found it tremendously easy to do so. Gulping audibly, he bit his lip and pulled the key out. To his chagrin, he saw that the tip was missing and all that was left was the top circular part and the long cylindrical one.

All three of them stared down at the broken key in horror.

Seifer brought his head back up, a furious expression plastered on his face. With mechanical moves, he shoved Zell aside and pushed the door. Still locked. Letting out a growl, he thrust himself upon the door, shoulder-first. Nada. Pressing one booted foot close to the lock, he took out Hyperion and stuck the tip on the wood. He clicked the cock on the gun part and took six shots. Clearing the smoke in front of him, he put Hyperion back in place and tried the door again. Not even **that** had worked. Still not uttering a single word, he slipped his hand into the pocket of his trench coat. He mumbled a flurry of curses.

_"Out of ammo." _he spat out.

With a murderous expression crossing his features, he turned and faced Zell.

_"You're dead."_

* * *

- _"Selphie, darlin'…" _Irvine wheezed _"Can't we just forget all about that damned thing?"_

_"NO! I'm TELLING you, it's CLOSE!" _Selphie snapped, running down the stairs in front of her.

Rinoa, Irvine and Squall followed lazily right behind her, their faces screwed into identical frowns of growing impatience and weariness.

_"If we live through this," _Squall began _"Remind me to ban her from buying coffee at the cafeteria… For **life**."_

* * *

- _"Damn you, Zell! RUN! Can't you see I'm doing my best to keep him at bay here!"_

_"Run WHERE!"_

_"**DIE** CHICKENWUSS!"_

Letting out a yelp, Zell dove to the floor and barely avoided the sharp edge of Hyperion as it sped down to him with the intention to kill. Seifer pulled the gunblade up from the crack it had created on the floor and swung it up once again, running after Zell, Quistis's weight on him almost insignificant right now. The girl had wrapped herself around him from the back, trying with all her might to block his legs and arms, but to no avail. Still, it was quite admirable that after two consecutive and long battles, Seifer had the strength and stamina to chase Zell around, with a full-grown woman hanging from his bag.

_"I'M SORRY!" _Zell yelled, rolling onto the floor to avoid yet another deadly blow.

_"**WHY**!" _Seifer hissed _"WHY MUST YOU BE ALIVE AND TORTURE HUMANITY WITH YOUR STUPIDITY!"_

_"SEIFER, HAVE YOU GONE **CRAZY**! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM THAT WAY!" _

_"WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO ALL THIS TIME! NOW **GET OFF**!"_

Quistis grabbed Hyperion's blade form behind just as Seifer swung it up. Zell made a run for it towards the door, but was now cornered as Seifer followed right after him.

_"OK, fine…" _Seifer hissed, letting go of Hyperion.

Quistis tried to hold on to the heavy weapon, but it slipped right out of her hands.

_"I don't need a weapon to kill him…" _Seifer said, his voice low, green eyes glinting maliciously and set on Zell's.

He cracked his knuckles and lunged towards Zell, Quistis's body still wrapped around him.

_"AAAARGHHHHHH!"_

* * *

- _"See? I told you it wasn't that far…" _Selphie said, stepping down the stairs leading into the dungeons _"And I was right! These **are** the- pewwww!" _She stopped in mid-sentence and brought a palm over her mouth and nose. 

_"Holy Hyne!" _Rinoa said, gagging _"This must be what **evil **smells like!"_

_"Let's just find what we came for and get outta here then…" _Irvine said, his hat now covering his nose and mouth.

_"I think it's over there." _Squall said, pointing at one of the water-filled trails, his voice muffled under his sleeve.

_"…don't… weapon… kill…"_

Irvine's head perked up. He turned and looked at the others who seemed to be as puzzled and alarmed as he was.

_"Did you hear that?" _he asked, receiving a round of nods _"What-?"_

_"AAAARGHHHHHH!"_

Irvine didn't even have time to finish his sentence, as a near-by door broke by the hinges and fell down with a glorious thud and an enormous amount of dust succeeding its fall. The dust molecules began to slowly set down, and the silhouette of three certain blondes locked in a rather weird position came clearly in view. Four pairs of eyes widened.

With his back right against the door was Zell, a petrified expression plastered on his face. Right on top of him was Seifer, his palms wrapped around the first's throat, squeezing mercilessly. And finally, Quistis lay on top of Seifer's back, her legs and arms curled around his waist and neck respectively.

The moment the three realized what exactly had happened, they looked up to find their comrades staring at them dumbfounded. After a few awkward moments of complete silence, Quistis opened her mouth to explain, but Squall raised his palms up in exasperation, interrupting her.

_"I **REALLY** don't want to know." _he said.

_"B-b-but it's not-" _Zell began.

_"I'm serious!" _Squall snapped, shaking his head vigorously.

_"See if I care…" _Seifer said with a groan and let go of Zell's neck, trying to get up as Quistis slipped off his back.

Squall's team watched in silence as the three blondes slowly stood up and began clearing their clothes. Once they were finally done, they looked up at the others, still in complete silence.

_"Both rooms are clear, by the way."_ Quistis eventually said.

_"And chicken-wuss is not spending another second in **my** team, by the way." _Seifer grumbled, glaring at Zell.

Letting out a weary sigh, Squall turned and looked at Zell fleetingly. It just now seemed to register to him that a great part of Zell's clothes was burnt away and a nasty wound marred the skin on his stomach. For one of the very few times in his life, Squall's eyes widened.

_"Aiiieeee!" _Selphie shrieked, obviously thinking along Squall's lines _"Zell, what **happened** to you!"_

_"Long story…" _the blond grumbled _"More or less involves a giant frickin' mummy shoving a Flare spell right on my gut…" _

It took a few good moments for that fact to register to the minds of those in Squall's team. Apparently, everyone was trying to picture what Zell had just told them.

_"And he was a total baby about it, sheesh…" _Seifer said, shaking his head in disbelief.

His comment received a round of well-deserved glares, especially from Quistis.

_"What?" _he said innocently, looking at her.

_"I won't even **bother** to comment on what you just said…" _she replied, frowning deeply.

Squall sighed, glancing at his own team. Irvine shrugged.

_"I can go." _he offered, referring to Seifer's previous request.

_"Oh, but I barely got to see you, Irvy…" _Selphie complained, pouting.

_"You know we have to be tough and be apart if we have to right now, Sefie…" _Irvine said in a suave manner, holding her chin up with one crooked finger.

The brunette let out a tiny giggle and nodded. Satisfied, Irvine gave her a wink and turned around to face Seifer.

_"You willing to have me?" _Irvine asked.

_"Anyone but the wuss." _Seifer said, putting his hands up.

Zell, who had so far remained quiet, kept shifting his gaze eagerly from Irvine to Seifer, as if witnessing a tennis match. The moment Seifer gave his consent, the shorter blond let out a triumphant shriek and fell to his knees.

_"YES! OH, HYNE **YES**!" _he yelled, his eyes shining with tears of happiness.

Seifer watched his outburst with a grimace of disgust plastered on his face. Quistis, in between chuckles, turned and looked at him quizzically.

_"What?" _she asked him _"Why are you grimacing like that?"_

_"I just realized that the person I want to be least in the planet is that library girl…"_ he muttered, holding his stomach with one palm.

Following his train of thought, Quistis rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. Deciding it was high time they stopped losing precious moments and got a move on, she interrupted Zell's perpetual cries of joy.

_"What are you doing here, anyway?" _she asked Squall _"Weren't you going to move further on to upper levels?"_

_"We were." _Squall replied _"But once we were crossing a bridge upstairs something fell and," _he turned to look at Selphie _"Selphie insisted that we found it."_

_"Something?" _Seifer said, sharing a glance of understanding with Quistis.

_"We couldn't really make it out." _Selphie piped in _"But it was shiny. Could have been a key, that's why I wanted to go after it."_

_"And how on earth could it have dropped from a bridge in here?" _Seifer inquired, crossing his arms.

_"It fell down through a barred hole." _Selphie replied _"And from my calculations, I figured it should have fallen around here somewhere."_

_"You wouldn't by any chance," _Seifer began, digging into his pocket _"Be referring to **this**," _he said, showing them the key resembling a spinal cord which he had retrieved form the water trail _"Would you?" _

_"Certainly looks like it." _Rinoa said.

_"Where did you find it?" _Squall asked.

_"Fell inside the water trail as soon as we got here." _Seifer replied _"Good timing…"_

_"Did you find out what it opens?" _Irvine asked.

_"Yes. That door over there." _Quistis replied, pointing at the armory.

_"And?" _Squall asked.

_"And we wiped out the two Guardians in here, Pubes, use your brains." _Seifer snapped, stretching.

_"No wonder all of you look like hell warmed over." _Rinoa said.

_"You look absolutely lovely yourself, Princess, thank you." _Seifer quipped.

_"Could be **pleeeeeease** get out of here now?" _Zell said _"One more minute in here and I'm definitely throwing up…"_

_"Alright, alright…" _Squall said _"Have you checked everything?" _he asked Seifer.

_"I think so…" _the blond replied, glancing around the room _"We went through both doors…"_

His eyes fell upon the floodgate that stood on the wall between the two doorways.

_"Except for that." _he said, pointing at the floodgate _"That gate over by the lever."_

Squall turned around first, soon followed by the rest, all examining the gate from afar.

_"It's locked." _Seifer added _"Try to pull the lever before."_

Squall walked over to the lever and scrutinized it thoroughly. The lever was indeed kept back by a lock, connecting it to the barred floodgate behind, hindering any possible movement. Suddenly knitted his brows together.

_"There's a letter carved on the head." Squall said, looking up to meet Quistis's gaze "An 'I'."_

_"An 'I'?"__ Quistis repeated "Well, I did find it inside a book called 'Inundantia'." she said._

_"Inundantia?"__ Squall said, arching an eyebrow "What does the mean?"_

_"Flood."__ Rinoa piped in._

**_'Hmmm…' _**Squall dug his hand into his pocket. He took out the key they had found inside the room next to the elevator. His gloved fingers brushed over the 'I' etched onto the key's head.

_"Rinoa." _Squall called out, still examining the key _"What did you say 'Inundantia' meant? Flood?"_

_"Yes," _Rinoa said _"Why?"_

_"Not sure…"_ Squall replied.

He placed the key into the lock and twisted it. It turned with ease. His lips broke into a tiny smile.

_"It fits." _he said casually.

The click of the lock opening was heard and Squall removed it, pulling the lever down at the same time.

Cogs turned, a couple of seconds passed and a knob, keeping a wooden plank in place on the floodgate slid away, allowing it to slip down. The plank fell right in front of the main barred hole, covering it completely, thus sealing the water's entry. Slowly but steadily, the water trails began to empty, as the flow was guided out of the dungeons through the other two barred holes.

_"Alright…" _said Irvine, nodding _"So what did that accomplish?" _he asked.

Squall frowned. It hadn't really occurred to him what it was exactly he had been trying to do. All he knew was that he'd just done it…

_"I don't know really…" _he replied, shrugging.

He placed the key back into his pocket and turned to look the others.

_"Well… Nothing left to see here." _he said _"Let's go."_

* * *

- _"So that's five down, three to go… Are we certain we've covered everything in the lower levels?" _Seifer asked. 

_"Hmmm…" _Squall muttered, his brows knit together _"The Dungeons are definitely clear, as well as the entire right side… I trust that you've checked every door, every room, every last corner?" _he asked, glancing up at Seifer with a cocked eyebrow.

_"Yes, Leonhart…" _Seifer replied wearily, rolling his eyes _"You don't have the monopoly of trust around here. When are you gonna realize that?" _

_"Fine, fine…" _Squall hurried to say, putting his palms up in resignation _"Just making sure… So, right side and Dungeons clear, then we've got the left side and center which leads to the upper floors. We still have a couple of things to check there."_

_"Such as?" _Seifer asked.

_"There's a lever below that unstable chandelier that we couldn't work out." _Squall began, slipping his hands in his pockets _"We still have an unused key."_

_"**More** fucking keys?" _Seifer said, his eyes becoming very round.

_"Just this one." _Squall replied, but from his tone it was apparent that he, too, was getting rather tired of the entire situation _"And," _he frowned _"Now that I think of it, there **is** a door we have yet to check out on the west wing."_

_"Well, why didn't you?"_

_"We just passed by it on the way from the elevator room. It was locked and we found this key later on. Odds are that's the one it opens…"_

Quistis walked a few feet behind, Rinoa and Selphie's arms interlocked with hers as she stood in the middle. Irvine and Zell were right in front of them, discussing in hushed tones what each was going to do first once they left Ultimecia's realm.

Quistis couldn't help but feel that they were all doing their best to keep their spirits up, keep convincing themselves that they would all manage to get back home alive. _Home_… It seemed so far away right now, like a dream that was hardly feasible. There was, however, a thing that brought a smile to her lips right now. It was the sight of her two former students, having reached a mutual understanding and engaged in civil conversation **_'It took them a while…' _**she thought **_'But at least they eventually made it happen.'_**

_"It's that way." _Squall voice was heard, snapping Quistis out of her thoughts.

He pointed at a pair of double doors right down the hall and walked through the threshold, the rest following suit. Seifer walked right behind Squall as the latter approached the lever they had been discussing.

_"This one?" _Seifer said, looking up at Squall, who simply nodded.

The tall blond placed his grip around the mid-section of the lever and pulled it. He arched both eyebrows.

_"Are you fucking kidding me?" _he scoffed at Squall _"I barely touched it and it moved."_

_"I never said we couldn't move it." _Squall said wearily _"Just that it didn't stay in place. If you release it, you'll hear that same clicking sound and the chandelier above will be unlocked again."_

Frowning, Seifer let go of the lever.

And it never moved a single millimeter.

Squall gaped at the lever and glanced from the chandelier and back again, in utter disbelief. He grabbed the lever and pulled it back, then pushed it once again. Once more, it stood right in place when he released it.

_"What the…?" _he mumbled.

_"Is THAT what you dragged us all the way here for?" _Seifer said disdainfully.

_"I'm telling you, it wouldn't stay still before!" _Squall snapped _"I don't know why it does now!"_

_"There's probably a hinge or something in there that keeps it in place." _Seifer said, shrugging _"But it's most likely rusty. All it needed was for someone **stronger** to pull it once, so it's loosened now." _he added with a smug grin.

_"There were **three** of us pulling it." _Squall growled through gritted teeth.

_"Thanks, but no need to boost my ego even more." _Seifer replied, his grin even more smirk-like _"I already know I'm way stronger than some of you **combined**."_

_"Take this Hynedamned key-" _Squall said, shoving the last remaining one onto Seifer's chest _"And go find the Hynedamned door I told you about. We'll go check that door across the chandelier. Then we all meet at the rendezvous point on the second floor after the organ room."_

_"Hey, you don't have to feel embarrassed." _Seifer said, pocketing the key _"So what if you don't have the brains **or** the strength to compare with me? That doesn't make you **completely** useless, P-"_

_"WILL YOU JUST **FUCKING** GO, ALREADY!" _

A collective gasp greeted Squall's small outburst, making the vein on his temple throb even more wildly. Seifer let a gigantic grin cross his lips.

_"Ahh… That was fun…"_ he said and turned his heel, walking towards the rest _"Quis, cowboy, let's go."_

Fuming, Squall cast one last venomous look at the lever, then approached his own team, not uttering a single word.

_"You **do** realize that this whole lever deal had most likely something to do with the floodgate we unlocked, right?" _Quistis mumbled at Seifer as they walked away, arching an eyebrow.

_"Course I do." _Seifer replied, chuckling _"But I hadn't had a good laugh in a while and it was way too tempting an opportunity to let go…"_

* * *

**A/N:Sighs**: And that was it… I can't safely say when the next update will be. I'm sorry, but I need to set my priorities straight, and as much as I'd love my writing endeavors to be on the top of the list, they sadly aren't. But I've said it before and I'll say it again: _I will not abandon **any** story I begin_.


	43. Epilogue

**A/N: **Holy crap, an update! Hath Hell frozen over?

No really, it's me. With a different penname. And… like… one year older XD

I'm not going to waste you time giving excuses as to why it took a whole year for me to tackle this story again, but you're at least entitled to a few quick explanations, unless you received the e-mail I tried to send to everyone about a month ago. Due to the workload of the previous year in uni and pressure from elsewhere, I almost abandoned writing period. The only writing I've done this year is in role-playing boards. Granted, it's been a chance to explore a different type of writing and I've learned a great deal out of it (I still continue to rp), but I've missed this. I've missed my fanfics.

This is by no means a certain promise that I'm getting into fanfiction again for good. I'm done giving promises I need to struggle to keep. I do, however, have a somewhat renewed interest in fanfiction and there is a new little story that I had in mind a LONG time ago which recaptured my interest. So I might be getting back into it, but without any promises this time around. It's the only way I can remain sane and guilt-less over abandoning my other stories.

First things first… I'm here to finish what I long ago began. I know I said I would never leave a story unfinished, and this is exactly what I'm going to try and rectify. I'm sorry to say that I can't find it in me to start right where I'd stopped. My writing has changed through the course of this year and quite frankly, I'm sure that the people who were interested in this story are much more eager to hear how it ends, rather than my reheated version of the Ultimecia fights. I may go back to add the missing chapters at some point, but for now, I just need to tie all loose ends and get some long-needed closure.

The epilogue begins right after the final Ultimecia is beaten. I hope you enjoy it. Oh and... I intended for the format to be much less... 'blocky' but apparently there have been quite a few changes ever since I was last around. shrugs

* * *

**_A second chance _**

By: Sickness in Salvation

**Epilogue **

* * *

_She fell on her knees, uncomfortably warm, clothes sticking to her skin. Feeling dirty, tired, worn-out… Her arms were gloved, but she was certain that if she could see her hands right now, her knuckles would be white by the force she was clutching her whip with. _

_"Is it done?" her voice sounded almost foreign. She tried to catch her breath. _

_"It's over." He knelt down in front of her. Scraped, bleeding, perspiring like she was, but he was alright. They all were. "We made it," he breathed out, tattered glove tips touching her cheeks. _

_She smiled, her gaze wild around the seemingly hollow, bottomless room, searching for everyone else. They were there. Wounded, but happy. **Alive**__ She hadn't torn them apart. _

_"Quistis, look at me." He touched her face with both hands now, making her look at him. "It's time to go. Are you ready?" _

_Nodding vigorously, she leaned in, lips crushing against his for a mere second, then pulled away and reached up to grasp his hands tightly. "You won't let go?" _

_He grinned at her and shook his head. "Never." _

_Time Compression…_

* * *

_She was swimming. _

_Right into the midst of an endless ocean of memories. All of them liquid, pliable, melting away when she brushed her fingers against the air, trying to reach for them. _

"Squall! Squall, wake up!"

_Her heartbeat was reaching her ears. Everything was too loud, too colorful, too painful… _

"Call the others, hurry!"

"Is… Is she--?"

"YES, GO!"

_Matron's voice, singing lullabies at night. Her voice soft, but filled with static, a cacophony of high-pitched frequencies pounding against her eardrums, like a malfunctioning record. _

_"It hurts…" _

"Heart rate's picking up…"

"Booyaka!"

"No, it's not good… It's picking up too fast…"

_"Everything hurts…"_

"Oh Hyne, no… Not now… Not when she's so close…"

_The orphanage… Matron… Ellone… Everyone… _

_"Seifer…" _

"Sis… don't let go…"

"One hundred and ninety…"

_"Hold me… don't let go… I'm slipping… Hold me; everything hurts…" _

"She's going into arrest."

"ELLONE!!"

"Will you SHUT UP and let her concentrate?! Irvine, take her outside."

"Squall—"

"OUT. NOW!"

_"You said you wouldn't let go!" _

_Darkness… _

"Don't you _dare_ give up now…"

_And then… a voice. "I'm right here." _

_His smile. _

_"Take my hand…" _

_Seifer… _

_She reached out… _

_And held on tight._

A gasp for air.

Clawing the air, reaching out for anything she could grasp, eyes rolling back on their sockets, a silent scream on her lips.

"QUISTIS!"

Rinoa, Selphie, Squall, Zell, Irvine, Xu, Dr. Kadowaki… Everyone standing above her, eyes shining with unshed tears and tainted with black circles.

And Ellone.

Red-faced, soaked in sweat, holding her hand tightly, trying to catch her breath. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

And then… she managed a smile. "Welcome back, Quisty."

* * *

_One year later…_

She had been putting on her slippers when the 'voice of God', as Xu liked to call it, sounded from above on the PA.

_"Garden will be docking at 1700 hours. Prepare to disembark in five minutes." _

Balamb… Zell had been anxious to see his mother again for ages and everyone else was just as excited over the prospect of some rest, and some quality food for a change. Squall had grumbled and had reminded everyone that there were missions and paperwork to take care of.

The only one he didn't seem to be in the mood to pester had been her.

For twelve whole months, Quistis had been feeling as if she were trapped within a glass sphere.

Whereas she appreciated her friends' concern and patience, she had never felt there was the need to treat her like a ticking bomb about to go off any second now. Her situation had been 'delicate' at best for quite a while, but she had come a long way since that day she woke up in Garden's infirmary, surrounded by faces of worry.

_"How… How long?" _

_"Two months," Dr. Kadowaki replied. The rest were all standing above her cot, faces considerably grimmer after the initial celebration. Edea and Cid had joined in, making the small room feel suffocating. _

_"Did we… Ultimecia… is she—?" _

_"We made it." It was Squall who replied. "She's gone." _

_Her eyes traveled around the room nervously. She had the distinct feeling everyone knew what she wanted to ask, but no-one would be willing to answer. _

_"And… Seifer?" _

_The room suddenly fell silent. Tension was tangible. Instinctively, she feared the worst. _

_"He… he didn't… Did he make it?" _

_Ellone bit her lip. But just as she saw Quistis's eyes widen, she hurried to speak. "He's alive." _

_Alive… Air had never felt sweeter to breathe in… Though… Ellone's words… She made it sound as if— _

_Ellone sighed. "Quistis, there is a lot to explain." _

They told her everything that day.

Seifer had never joined them. He had disappeared alongside Edea in the back room of that TV station in Timber, just like it was meant to happen.

She remembered feeling that horrible knot in her stomach. Had it all been a dream? Had she imagined everything, from the moment she'd woken up in a different life, under different circumstances? Had she been cheated into a dream of alternate reality just to quell her guilt over Seifer's imminent execution?

_"Quistis… you never made it back from Time Compression in the first place." _

They told her everything… How they all returned, only to find her soulless body waiting. Alive, but unconscious.

_"We tried everything," Selphie said, tears welling up in her eyes again. "Dr. Kadowaki said you couldn't be in a coma. That's when we realized what had happened. Sis was the only one who could help, but she didn't know how. None of us did." _

_Lost in Time Compression… Not enough memories to hold on to… _

_"We had to find something to trigger a strong emotion in your subconscious to bring you back," Ellone went on. "I tried every strong memory I could find that related to all the people who were close to you. None of them worked." _

_She began to catch on. She realized what was coming next. _

_"Why Seifer?" Quistis asked. In reality, she had never fallen for him. They had never even been friends. Why him? _

_"Your guilt," Ellone replied. "It was accidentally, really, that we found out. I was trying out for memories with Squall, and Seifer happened to be in one of those. You reacted." _

After trial and error, Ellone had her plan.

If Quistis didn't have enough memories to bring her back to consciousness, then they would need to create memories for her to hold on to. And Seifer… Seifer had been nothing but bait. Feeding off the most intense feeling within her, guilt over the wrong path Seifer had chosen, they had constructed new memories for her. Memories to make her believe it had been real. Memories carbon-copied from her already existing ones, but with Seifer inserted within them. Using familiar settings to keep her oriented.

It had taken a long time for her to fully comprehend this, but in retrospect, she had realized a lot of things. Such as why she had never left Garden during her alleged 'sessions' with Ellone in her fabricated little universe. Every place she had visited was one she had been to before. Nothing altered, nothing new. Everything derived from her real memories to construct the new, artificial ones.

There had been no execution, no alternate life, no different past memories… nothing. Everything had been fabricated to make an even more fabricated relationship feel real. Something for her to come back to. Fake, but real in her imagination.

For the longest time, she had hated them all for making such a decision on her behalf.

She had hated them for creating fake feelings in her heart, feelings of something, _someone_ who had never been hers. Someone who probably didn't care if she had returned from Time Compression in the first place. Someone she loved… without ever having truly known.

It was a cruel world to wake up to, a world of peace when pure chaos and confusion reigned within her.

She had attended the much awaited and postponed party over the downfall of Ultimecia with a forced smile on her lips. Everyone else had been in spirits higher than ever. Laughing, celebrating, trying to cheer her up. Irvine and Selphie taping the whole event, Zell choking on hotdogs, Squall and Rinoa kissing…

Eventually, it had all brought a tiny smile on her face. A smile that was in fact a promise to herself. A promise to make things better and reclaim her life, once she had picked up the pieces of her broken self. It would take some time… But she would make it. She _had_ to.

One year later, she was living up to that very promise. Getting ready to visit Balamb again, enjoy life with her friends and… make a small stop to deliver a special message.

There was a knock on her door.

"Enter," she said, getting up from bed and straightening her clothes out.

It was Selphie who stepped inside, looking somewhat hesitant. "Just came to see you off," she said, but Quistis already knew the brunette had something else in mind.

"That was nice of you," Quistis said, removing the clip from her hair and running her fingers through her locks a couple of times.

Selphie remained silent for a fair few seconds, but she seemed about ready to burst at the seams unless she spoke. So she did. "Are you _absolutely_ sure about this?" she asked. Quistis could see the slight pang of hurt in her eyes.

"I know you don't like him—"

"I hate him," Selphie said, shrugging. Her tone wasn't hostile, but she was being honest. "But I love you more than I hate him."

Quistis looked down at her feet, smiling. When she looked at her friend again, her eyes shone with a feeling that got as close as happiness had ever been to her. Not quite there… but close. "Thank you."

Selphie waved her hand airily, shoe shuffling on the floor. "You do know that… you still have _us_ right?" she mumbled.

Biting her lower lip, Quistis approached the younger girl, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I know. And I'm not saying it's not enough. It's just—"

"Not enough," Selphie finished for her, grinning. "That's okay. I understand what you're trying to say," she said. Sighing, she motioned towards the door. "C'mon, go. And uhh… tell him… Tell him he's… welcome here," she finished, grumbling.

With a lightning-fast hug, Quistis waved at Selphie and disappeared through the door, leaving the brunette behind, shaking her head.

"Hyne help us all…"

* * *

Her slippers clanked against the wooden platform as she took one step forward at the time. Precariously, with bated breath and a head that seemed about ready to explode. 

What does one say to a person they once cared about, then came to loathe, then came to care about again and eventually fell in love with? What does one say to a person who was entirely absent through this grand change of heart? What does one say to a person who may be nothing but a perfected image they had molded, only to place up in a high pedestal and hope against all hope that reality would reach their impossible expectations? Then again, Seifer Almasy had been flawed even within the deranged, surreal world she had built up in her head. Her refuge, her sanctuary. Her mind's cruel little game of holding on for dear life, fighting Time Compression against all odds, desperate to survive. Yes, the Seifer she had dreamed of for so long came very close to reality. But did he have the potential to care? Did he have the potential to change? Did she even _want_ him to change?

She was running out of steps that would keep her a safe distance away from what she was head on walking towards, but the questions remained endless, relentless. She had been told she'd find him there, and she had.

_"Seifer Almasy?" the middle-aged, local fisherman had repeated, face screwing up in thought. "Nope, never heard of 'im." _

_Typical Balamb. The world had come to the brink of destruction only a year ago; the quiet seaside down had felt the brush of death sweep right by it… and yet it was so quick to forget. Forget anything had ever happened, and remain blissfully ignorant as to what had occurred in other corners of the world. Perhaps they had never even bothered to know more than what affected them, and ever since Garden had flown away from the confines of the small continent, the citizens of its sole city had returned to their daily routine with religious-like reverence. _

_This would definitely explain the absurd, almost hilariously awkward welcoming ceremony the townsmen had organized for Garden's fist docking to Balamb after peace was restored. She remembered all too well the stubby mayor of Balamb, shaking his sweaty hand with Squall's and bursting into a loud and pompous speech that no-one really understood. The town's philharmonic, comprised of sturdy lads with an age average of eighty, erupted into a cheerful military march. Zell chose that particular moment to whisper into Quistis's ear that this must be what evil sounds like. The crowd simply stared dumbfounded, apparently having no clue what on earth had happened and why those 'darn kids' deserved a welcoming ceremony to begin with. As the mayor went on, large spots of almost puce-like color rose to his face in obvious embarrassment and everyone eventually became equally uncomfortable. The mayor had tugged at his tie. Squall had groaned. Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine had all been snickering rather loudly. Zell had crouched behind them, coolly downing the contents of the lunch pack Mama Dincht had hastily slipped into his shirt pocket before she went to join the crowd. _

_And Quistis hadn't been able to keep her eyes away from the mayor's sweaty, untucked shirt, watching as his pot belly seemed about ready to burst at the seams. It secretly made her wish she had a needle and see just what would happen if she poked him. _

_In retrospect, it had all worked to her benefit. No-one in Balamb had heard much about the war, at least not enough to keep them away from their daily routine, so there were only very few –if any- people who would fear the name 'Seifer Almasy' in this town. Luckily, she hadn't stumbled upon any of the select few. _

_"Tall, blond, green eyes? Around twenty?" Quistis had asked again hopefully. "May have been here along with two friends. A woman with silver hair and an eyepatch and a rather er… brawny, dark man." _

_The fisherman's eyes lit up in recognition, but his expression remained the same. "You talkin' 'bout I.C.? Young fellow with a nasty ol' scar across 'is forehead?" _

_Scar on forehead, check. But… I.C.? _

_"Er…" _

_The fisherman pointed over yonder, down at the docks. Quistis squinted against the sunlight, making out the solitary figure of a man with his back against a barrel and a fishing pole in hand. Right on cue, he stood up, picked up a pale gray coat from the barrel and began to rummage around its pockets. During the briefest of moments, Quistis caught sight of a crimson Fire Cross emblazoned on the sleeve. She smiled. _

_"That would be him, yes," she said, her smile growing wider. _

_"Well _that_ is I.C. Weiner," the fisherman pointed out. Figures. Only Seifer would have given a fake name like that one. "Why d'ya say his name was Kiefer Lamassie, then?" the fisherman inquired. _

_Short-term memory not in particularly good shape, apparently. Point two for Lady Luck. _

_"I've always called him by his two middle names," Quistis invented quickly, taking the first step down the wooden platform towards the docks. "Thanks for your help!" _

_"Dun mention it." _

As she was getting closer, she began to make out his legs, dangling laxly from the edge of the peer. The large barrel was almost completely obstructing him from view, save for a flash of faded, loose blue jeans covering his legs. _That and a huge cloud of smoke,_ she noted with a frown. Her steps faltered for a moment.

She was almost there, but still had absolutely no idea of what to say or do. A million profound suggestions of what to say entered her mind. _I dreamed of you. I want you. Be with me. I love you,_ even. But all she could concentrate on was the lazy manner in which he was curling and uncurling his bare toes in boredom. Hyne, when had she turned into one of those frilly little girls she had always scorned? The kind that pined after someone so much they squealed over every little detail, every little thing…

She tried to kick her mind into more coherent thoughts again, and force her lips to utter something particularly witty or deep for their first 'conversation' in over a year, but all that came out as she took that last step forward was, "I.C. Weiner? _Really_?"

Seifer came into full view the moment she moved forward. His head jerked up at the sound of an obviously familiar voice --or at least she hoped so, and she took a good look at the sole occupant of her latest dreams.

Clad in a pair of jeans and a vintage fisherman's hat only, the man before her was almost exactly like she remembered him. A few changes were apparent, but overall, the image before her was warmly, pleasantly familiar. Fishing hooks pierced on the rim of the hat swished around when he looked up sharply, making it look even more amusingly absurd on Seifer's head. It was the only thing slightly out of place that she could point out. His hair had grown into messy little locks of pale blonde framing his eyes, and he had lost some of his soldier's muscle, but the definition and slender body was still there. Balamb's sunshine had caressed his skin from a naturally pale peach color into a much more tanned version of it, one that particularly flattered him and made his eyes stand out even more. A beer can stood by his side and a cigarette was dangling from his fingers, the fishing pole resting on a sturdy base just a couple of feet away. Beads of condensation had formed on his chest and forehead, and she couldn't blame him; Balamb was almost insufferably hot in the summer.

Still, they made it hard not to stare.

"Trepe?" he spoke at long last, pushing the rim of his hat up to make sure his eyes weren't playing games.

Back to last names. A pang of pain burned in her chest, but she chose to see this as a promising start. She _had_ to.

Smiling at him, Quistis stepped out of her slippers and crouched down to his level, taking a seat by the edge of the peer. The cool breeze swept under her long, white skirt pleasantly and she rested her hands behind her back, stretching.

Seifer's eyes followed her with the reverence of a bloodhound. He seemed to be quite at loss. He hadn't seen this woman in over a year –at least not in person, and today, out of the blue, she showed up in Balamb and took a seat next to him like they were just a couple of buddies going way back. Well, coming to think of it, they perhaps _had_ been at some point, but a lot had happened in between. He half expected her to light one up for herself and nudge him playfully into a spitting contest.

_Does Trepe even have the glands necessary to spit? _He wouldn't put it past her to having gotten them removed.

But wait, he was supposed to be wondering why the fuck she had shown up right there, right then. Not about the state of her glands.

Her hair was loose. She turned to face him after having stared at the sea lovingly for a few moments, wisps of hair being blown against her cheek. "How have you been, Seifer?"

"Peachy. What the hell are you doing here?" _Straight to the point. _

She hadn't exactly expected a warm welcome, but a less bitter one would have done wonders for that little burning sensation in her chest that was beginning to grow. "We docked here a few hours ago," she replied, trying to keep her smile up. "I felt like taking a walk and I was told I'd find you here."

"You were _looking_ for me?"

Well, he had always been sharp. "I don't know," she said, shrugging. "Maybe."

Seifer arched a highly skeptical eyebrow. The hell? Was she messing with his head? "So… You just came here… and thought you'd drop by to say 'Hi'?"

_That obnoxious smile,_ Seifer grumbled inwardly as she nodded. "Pretty much," Why did she have to smile? It threw him off; she didn't use to smile. And why the hell was she _there_?!

Shaking his head at her response, Seifer made a move to get up. "Fuck that," he growled, trying to get on his feet. He didn't need this shit. Especially not when he was fishing.

"Wait, where are you going?"

His head swept to the side, staring from her to the hand on his arm and back again. He shook his arm viciously. "Don't touch me." It wasn't a suggestion.

Quistis pulled her hand away quickly, her chest by now flaming and aching. She hadn't expected this to go smoothly, and although Seifer wasn't helping the least bit, perhaps she had been doing something wrong as well. "Sorry," she muttered, shifting her gaze over to the sea again. The sun was beginning to go down. "I didn't come here to fight," she said quietly.

Seifer seemed to be reconsidering his departure. He stared at her, long and hard, and eventually returned to his previous seat, tossing the cigarette into the water. "Then why _did_ you come? Just to screw with my head?"

"No," she replied firmly. "I'm telling the truth. I just came to see how you were doing."

"And I said I was peachy," Seifer snapped, placing both hands on his stomach at glaring at the sea. " Mission accomplished; can you leave me alone now?" He didn't want her there. A reminder of the past. He'd tried to put everything behind him. Doing a shitty job at it, but trying nonetheless. And he didn't need ghosts of things past to stir up his shaky equilibrium.

"Is my presence that annoying?" A sad smile.

"Yes."

"…Why?"

"Because. Now get the hell out of here." He lit up another cigarette.

Anger flared inside her. She was trying to make conversation and he was being unbearable. The same impudent, heartless, nasty little toerag he'd always been. A toerag she'd foolishly placed on a shiny pedestal and worshipped. A toerag that had kept her alive during Time Compression. _Irony has a really malevolent way of coming back and biting you on the backside,_ Quistis thought bitterly. Besides, it was _Ellone_ who had rescued her, not _him_. Perhaps she was the sole person she felt so intensely about and that was why she'd used him to bring her back to consciousness. _Intense hatred_.

"It's not _your_ dock," she spat back, frowning. "I can stay for as long as I want."

Seething, Seifer considered his options. He could get up and walk away, get some peace, but that would mean he would be the one retreating. And it may not be _his_ dock, but this was _his_ spot, _his_ planks, dammit! Now he could either be a man or a child about it…

He tossed her slipper into the water.

_Man. _

Quistis watched in stunned silence as the leather slipper, her _favorite, comfortable_ leather slipper, made a graceful arc in mid-air and fell onto the surface with a plunk, sinking down into the depths of the water.

_Have it your way_, she thought vengefully. She yanked the cigarette from his lips and sent it to meet her long-lost slipper along with the whole pack.

_Oh, you _bitch.

Chuckling sinisterly and shaking his head in disbelief, Seifer took off his hat. In one fluid motion, he dipped it into the bucket of bait, scooping up a rather large amount, and forced it onto Quistis's pristine, blonde head with an almighty splat.

Horrified, and thinking her teeth might shatter from the force she was gritting them together with, Quistis felt the still alive little pieces of worm bait inch their way down her neck, her shoulders, her blouse. She felt the urge to stand up and scream like a little girl in between attempts to take them all off, but Quistis Trepe had never been a little girl. She had hit adulthood the moment she had set foot into that orphanage in Centra, which was as far back as she could remember. Instead, she stood up, ignoring Seifer's triumphant grin –he no doubt thought she was going to walk away- and marched purposefully over to his fishing pole.

She grabbed it, bent one knee and snapped it in two, discarding the pieces onto their owner.

Looking positively murderous, Seifer stood up. He easily towered over her, and even though she didn't shrink at all when he glared down at her, he knew he had the advantage. _Break my favorite pole, will you? _He pushed her into the water.

Moments later, when she'd scramble up to the dock like a wet, humiliated cat, he'd take a moment to appreciate how much being wet improved her. And would actually voice that thought. Within seconds, he'd find himself splashing stomach-first onto the surface of the water as well. And then would scramble out himself. Wet and humiliated as well.

"What are you going to do next? Beat me to death with half a pole?" she'd challenge.

"What am I going to do next?!" he'd thunder, rising one accusatory, index finger up…

* * *

"You lost me my favorite slippers." 

"I only 'lost' you _one._"

"Well they come in pairs, you see. Lose one, and the lone slipper loses its purpose in life."

"You _lost_ me my cigarettes."

"You covered me from head to toe in filthy fish bait."

"You broke my pole."

The sun had set by now. Balamb was painted in beautiful hues of dark red and mauve, but the two blondes withholding such a breathtaking sight were otherwise occupied.

"…Are you _sure_ you're not cold?"

"Don't pretend you suddenly care, Trepe…"

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you to sue me if you catch a cold."

Seifer turned to glare at Quistis, his now longer blond hair slicked back and held together by the sea salt. The jeans were far from dry and still stuck on his legs uncomfortably, but at least he had his shirt to pull back on. The _lady_ had been greedy enough to grasp the opportunity of snatching his coat when he'd foolishly offered. "Isn't it getting a bit late for you?" he snarled. "Your _buddies_ are going to start wondering what happened to you."

_I don't care what my _buddies_ are going to think. I just want to stay here, cold, wet and keep on being humiliated by you just so you'll stay close to me. You're rotten to the core. But I love you… _

She chose not to reply to that. Kept her thoughts to herself. If she voiced them, he'd freak out and flee the continent. "You never answered me…" she said quietly, staring at her bare feet.

"Answer what?"

She grinned. "_I.C. Weiner_?"

Seifer had to try hard to stifle a grin. He failed. "I thought it was funny."

"_You_ would…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

_Grin vanished as quickly as it came. Smooth, Quistis…_ "_Nothing_. Must you take _everything_ personally?" she said, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Silence.

"So why Balamb?" she asked.

"Why not?" Seifer countered with a shrug. "It's warm, has a beach, no-one recognizes me here… And I can fish."

"I didn't know you liked fishing."

"No kidding. There's a great deal you don't know about me."

"Come back to Garden," she said suddenly, without even realizing it herself that she had meant to say this.

Seifer's face contorted into a frown. He should've known there would be an ulterior motive. Trepe didn't just _visit_ people for shits and giggles. Even when dressed like this, she meant business. "No."

"Don't you miss it?"

"Miss being the black sheep of SeeD? Hell no."

"I meant _us_."

_Us? What the fuck? _"…you and me, 'us'?"

_I wish. _"You, me, Irvine, Zell, Selphie, Squall… and now Rinoa. _That_ 'us'."

"We were never an 'us'."

"Yes, we were," Quistis said, her voice now more forceful. "Save Rinoa, we all grew up together. And now she's one of us. We all share memories, we all—"

"I don't remember _shit_."

"Yes, you do!" Quistis snapped, slamming her fist on the wooden peer, turning to face him.

Even Seifer was caught off guard. Her nostrils were flaring, and she had a wild, but passionate look in her eyes. It actually made her look— _No, don't go there. Last time you thought about anything even remotely close to that you ended up in a train with her, pushing buttons, screaming, yelling, teasing… until… until the train reached Timber. _

"I was your _Instructor_, dammit!" Quistis went on, her voice rising in decibels. "I _know_ you never junctioned a single Guardian Force. You _do_ remember! The orphanage! Cid, Edea! The fireworks, the beach, the _fireflies!_"

Seifer watched at her, trying to keep pain from reaching his expression. She remembered the fireflies? The lilies in her hair? He thought she had forgotten… He thought _he_ had forgotten after everything that had come to pass. He turned away… away from the ghosts that were spilling out of her eyes and voice, threatening to take him under again. "That was a long time ago."

"Well I want it back," Quistis countered, staring stubbornly at the slowly disappearing shreds of light in the horizon. It was beginning to get dark. "I _need_ it back. We all do."

"What makes you think it would be any different?" Seifer drawled, his own eyes following her gaze as well. "Commander Puberty and I will keep on fighting, might even end up with crosses on our foreheads… Chicken-Wuss will continue to be a coward, the cowboy will continue to chase tail, Messenger-Girl will keep trying to get us all together to sing 'Kumbaya' and go fucking hippy all over the place, Rinoa and that bitch of hers will continue to annoy every living creature on the face of Gaia, and you and I…"

_Yes? _

"…You and I will continue to act like kids around each other and argue." he finished.

Quistis smiled, resting her chin on her bent knees. "I know."

He turned to look at her, bewildered. "And that makes you happy?"

"More than anything in the world."

Seifer stared at her in silence, but this time around his gaze held no hostility. Instead, he was just confused. Confused beyond belief over the mystery Trepe was. Once, a _long_ time ago, he had been bewitched by that mysterious air of hers. Tough, relentless, unyielding, beautiful… a challenge. A challenge he simply grew tired of lusting after when she had eyes only for someone else. He'd never even tried to fool himself that he had actually _fallen_ for her, but… it had been a close shave. And then Gaia had grown crazy, and he had had his say in it. Helped the madness stir, grow, unfold and envelop _everything_. Him, her, everyone else, his undeveloped feelings and the whole world around them. Crush everything during his downward spiral so that he wouldn't be alone when he would hit rock bottom.

Just because he could.

Just because he didn't want to be alone anymore.

"You're a fruitcake…" he muttered quietly, but his voice was soft. She knew immediately he was joking. Or not… It didn't really matter. All that did matter was that it had been a good-natured tease. Dare she even say 'friendly'?

"Maybe I am…" she mused out loud, her content smile never faltering.

Silence again.

Night was upon them by now; the city lights were on, although the one closest to them was many feet away, rendering them in semi-darkness. Letting out a sigh, Quistis checked her watch. Spite or no spite, Seifer had been right; it was getting late, and people would start to wonder where she'd gone. "I should go…" she muttered half-heartedly.

Seifer turned to look at her. He didn't want to admit it, but her company hadn't exactly been _that_ dreadful. "Well—"

He was silenced when she leaned forward.

For a second there, he froze till. Was she going to—? Indeed, she was coming closer now, her eyes still open, but her lips only half-shut. Pink, full, luscious… Was he supposed to close the rest of the distance? Hell, he couldn't deny he was still having a hard time to believe she had even shown up, but he wouldn't say not to a nice f—

_Oh._

Quistis's warm lips pressed against his cheek. Just for a moment, but it felt like forever. And yet it also felt like the tiniest fragment of a second when she pulled away. She lingered, staring into his eyes. He stared into hers.

_Are we going to fuck already?_

"We all miss you. I _mean_ it. Just… think about what I said," she said.

_I guess not. _

All he could do was give her the feeblest of nods.

Quistis smiled a beaming smile at him, and shrugged the coat off her shoulders. "Thanks for the coat," she said softly, and took a moment to fold it neatly before placing it on his lap.

"No problem," Still utterly bewildered. And still wondering where the hell that came from if she wasn't going to go the whole way. Balamb had a shortage of hot chicks and it had been _quite _a while since he'd—

"We're going to stay in Balamb for a week," Quistis said as she got up to her feet, wet clothes still clinging to her body. "I guess everyone's dying for a small break. Well… everyone except for—"

"Puberty Boy," Seifer finished the sentence for her, having by now risen to his feet as well. He regarded her, trying to keep his eyes above her neckline and her damned distracting pop-up thermometers. Focusing on her face seemed to work, and he regarded her with a smirk, slipping his hands in his pockets. "Does he ever?"

"Don't be mean," Quistis said, but her voice was still gentle and there was a hint of a grin on her lips. "Anyway, let us know when you… make up your mind."

"Don't hold thy breath." Kiss or no kiss –hell it hadn't even been a _real_ one- the decision of whether to crawl back into the awaiting arms of Garden or not wasn't going to be one he'd make overnight.

"I just might," Quistis replied off-handedly, slipping her foot into her solitary slipper and beginning to walk away.

_Hynedammit. _"Quistis?"

A flutter in her chest. He hadn't addressed her with her name in ages.

She turned around. "Yes?"

He stood there for a second, tall, proud, beautiful but broken, even though he would not show it. "Why?"

Why? Why what? Why had she kissed him? Why was had she tracked him down? Why had she made this offer?

She hesitated, staring at her feet for a moment before looking up at him. "Because everyone deserves a second chance. Edea was granted hers. I was granted mine… in a way…"

_Second chance? _Seifer wondered, not so much angered that she believed he had screwed up –which he admittedly had- to need to be offered a second chance, but more intrigued about what she was implying for herself.

"Because everyone needs a home," Quistis went on. "And we've been ripped apart from ours twice. Third time's the charm, or so they say…"

"So Garden is your home?"

"Isn't it your home, too?"

No reply.

"And… because…"

_Because? _

"Because… I guess… I'm a little selfish…" Quistis said, smiling in a strange way. "I need to have someone to argue with." _Someone to love, someone to hold… And it can only be you. But if you come… I'll settle for arguing if that's the best I can get. _"Goodnight, Seifer."

He watched her walk away, unbeknownst to him that all her hopes and expectations had been single-handedly crushed by none other than himself tonight. He watched her walk away, not knowing that she had built him up so high that it all went down to Hell when reality hit her in the face. Not knowing that she was slowly going to build that pedestal up again, but not that high… Just high enough to reach him, reach out for him and try… Try against all odds to gain something she never really had, but never understood how much she needed either. He did not know that Quistis Trepe had lost and had reclaimed her love tonight. She had regained someone to argue with, someone to push her buttons, someone who could see right though her and break her, crush her, mold her, destroy her and at the same time breathe life into her.

He did not know that she didn't want him to change. He did not know that all she now wanted to do was make a man out of a scared boy, a boy she had somewhere along the line fallen for, because he was who he was. Her firefly-bearer. Her favorite student. Her adversary. Her verbal sparring partner. Her love.

Perhaps fate had been cruel to them once and hadn't given them nearly enough time to live and discover one another, but now they could.

And they would.

But Seifer Almasy knew nothing of that… yet.

"Goodnight," he said, but by the time he'd mustered enough courage to speak it was too late.

She was already gone, leaving behind a trail of single footprints with her un-slippered foot, and his voice hadn't reached her, but had simply resonated into the dead of the night.

He had no idea how long he stood there, watching her silhouette grow thinner and thinner until it was completely gone. Letting out a sigh, he turned to look at the black sea, calm and silky as ever…

This was going to be a long night. And a much longer week.

There was a lot of thinking to do.

Looking over his shoulder, he made out the distant lights of Garden, docked right into its primary location.

_Home… Fancy that… _

He began to make his way back to his little dingy flat near the docks, where thinking, plotting and a few more sleepless nights awaited. As he went up the wooden steps leading away from the peer, he let out a wry scoff.

"They're damned if they think I'm re-reading that fucking manual, though…"

* * *

**A/N:** For anyone who may have wondered, the voices when Quistis was waking up belonged to (in order): Rinoa, Rinoa, Squall, Rinoa, Dr. Kadowaki, Selphie, Dr. Kadowaki, Xu, Selphie, Dr. Kadowaki, Dr. Kadowaki, Selphie, Squall, Irvine, Xu, Dr. Kadowaki, Zell. 

I hope the ending wasn't confusing for any of you, but if it was, I'd be happy to answer some questions via PM or e-mail.

And now, a few closing words.

This is it. The end.

Or rather a new beginning.

This story is for everyone who, like me, noticed the empty smiles on Quistis's face during the after-party of the game. Smiles that never reached her eyes. It is for everyone who wondered if she had enough fond memories to grab hold of, to return to consciousness after Time Compression. For everyone who wanted the strongest heroine of the game to have a better ending, rather than remain a fifth wheel among blossoming couples. A heroine who deserves someone to call her own, be that in a romantic way, or, in her words, just "someone to argue with".

I'm only toying with possibilities and starting points. The _real_ end of the story is up to you to imagine.

This is the very first idea of an ending that had formulated in my head when I began working on this story. There are many fanfic scenarios in which Seifer asks for a pardon and returns to Garden out of his own volition, and I have always mused with the idea of someone actually _asking_ him to return for once. I never wrote the thing down, however, as I was quick to discard it. There are about… four different endings to this story that I actually wrote instead. One of them was optimistic, much like this one. One was bittersweet. The other two were just plain depressing. Ever since I saw the end approaching in this story, I've been in a huge dilemma (or quatri-lemma, as the case would be) over which one to choose. The end grew nearer and nearer, until I eventually stopped writing this story for reasons I've stated above.

One year later, I return, deciding that this should end exactly how it was originally supposed to. Am I happy with it? Yes. Perhaps my extremely long sabbatical eventually worked out for the best, in regards of the story. It got the ending it deserved. Nothing more, nothing less.

All I can say right now is that I finally feel content and got my overdue closure. I hope you did as well. I can't even begin to thank all of you who read, reviewed and embraced this story so warmly. I still remember the thrill of standing in front of the computer, with a cup of tea in one hand, trying to wake up before I get into some clothes and rush off to uni, and reading the very first reviews I'd gotten overnight. Whether good or bad, they always brought a smile to my face, and I have each and every one of you to thank for that.

So, in a nutshell… _thank you_.

Crys.


End file.
